“Our new campus will serve as the Research & Innovation epicenter for our North America scientific teams across product innovation, development, and testing,” explains Sanford Browne, North America President of R&I Center at L’Oréal. “The U.S. is a unique market, and our strong presence in this highly collaborative environment will empower us to provide an even higher standard of quality, efficacy, and safety for our consumers. With cutting-edge science and technology, advanced digital tools and data, and a focus on green chemistry, we will continue to invent the future of beauty.”
Reinforcing the company’s L’Oréal for the Future sustainability commitment, the new R&I Center will be designed to the highest sustainability standards by reducing energy use, resource consumption, and waste production while developing multi-purpose indoor and outdoor green space to support the area’s ecology and biodiversity.
The new R&I Center is currently under construction and is expected to be fully operational in 2024.
NJ Creates Offshore Wind Workforce Development Grant Challenge
The New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) has launched a competitive grant program that will help New Jerseyans — particularly those in New Jersey Overburdened Communities — develop skills for careers in offshore wind. The $3.725 million Offshore Wind Workforce and Skills Development Grant Challenge will offer grants to selected entities that will aid in launching or expanding innovative workforce training and skills programs focused on strengthening and diversifying New Jersey’s offshore wind workforce.
“Offshore wind is driving an abundance of skilled jobs in New Jersey, and Governor Phil Murphy is committed to ensuring the state’s workforce keeps pace with the needs of offshore wind companies investing here,” said NJEDA Chief Executive Officer Tim Sullivan. “We have a responsibility to ensure that New Jerseyans are adequately and safely trained for these good-paying opportunities. We look forward to partnering with entities with expertise and creative workforce development solutions that will advance these goals in an equitable and inclusive way.”
The Grant Challenge is part of NJEDA’s efforts to establish the NJ Wind Institute for Innovation and Training as an independent entity created through legislation. The Wind Institute will coordinate and deploy resources to advance offshore wind workforce development, research, and innovation in the state.
Announcement of the Grant Challenge followed Gov. Murphy’s signing of Executive Order No. 307, increasing New Jersey’s offshore wind goal by nearly 50 percent to 11,000 megawatts (MW) by 2040. Gov. Murphy also announced the release of the Green Jobs for a Sustainable Future report, created by the New Jersey Council on the Green Economy in partnership with the Governor’s Office of Climate Action and the Green Economy. The report outlines recommendations and pathways for growing a demographically representative and inclusive green workforce as New Jersey pursues its aggressive new offshore wind target.
Through the Grant Challenge, entities that can provide skill development, workforce training, job placement, and other related services to develop, implement, or expand workforce development initiatives in offshore wind can apply for grants of between $100,000 and $1 million to create their proposed programs. Priority in this grant challenge will be given to applicants or applicant teams that propose initiatives supporting training and job access for residents of Overburdened Communities.
The Grant Challenge will be open to entities that can design and execute workforce and skills training programs including, but not limited to, community-based organizations, workforce training organizations, labor unions, workforce placement intermediaries, technical high schools, community colleges, universities, non-profits, regional workforce development boards, and private companies.
“As we pursue our clean energy future and increased offshore wind development goals, it’s crucial that we develop a skilled and inclusive workforce to support our growing clean energy economy,” said Jane Cohen, Executive Director of the Governor’s Office of Climate Action and the Green Economy. “Establishing accessible pathways for entrance into good-paying jobs with wage parity and long-term career prospects will help position all New Jerseyans to enjoy the optimal benefits of the state’s clean energy transition.”
This Grant Challenge will support training needs identified in a recently conducted offshore wind workforce assessment. The study concluded New Jersey’s target for 7.5 GW of offshore wind and accompanying infrastructure investments is projected to result in 20,000 new jobs in 2030 across numerous sectors of the state’s economy, including construction, manufacturing, and professional services.
