News from the Somerset County Board of County Commissioners

Shanel Y. Robinson, Commissioner Director | Melonie Marano, Commissioner Deputy Director

Doug Singleterry, Commissioner |  Sara Sooy, Commissioner | Paul M. Drake, Commissioner

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 14, 2022

RVCC To Host Free Cannabis Info-Session for Young-Adult Job Seekers

 

NJ Cannabis Certified and Valley Wellness, in partnership with the Greater Raritan Workforce Development Board and Visions & Pathways are offering a free information session and workshops for those interested in exploring career opportunities in the emerging cannabis industry.

The event, open to all, begins at 6 p.m. Wednesday, April 6, in the Workforce Training Center at Raritan Valley Community College, located at 118 Lamington Road, Branchburg. Pizza will be served during the 90-minute event, which will feature different presentations from subject-matter experts followed by the workshops for young adults.

Valley Wellness is a Medical Cannabis Dispensary that has been awarded a provisional dispensary permit from the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission.

The Greater Raritan Workforce Development Board connects job seekers and employers in Hunterdon and Somerset counties to programs, grant opportunities and other services designed to create and sustain career pathways and robust economic opportunities.

Visions and Pathways provides abused, neglected, and homeless youth with housing, a stable environment, and supportive services that help guide them to becoming self-sufficient. This work enables youth to put the past behind them, so they can build brighter futures for themselves.

“We are excited to be working with partners from our community that are right in our backyard. Some of these are new partnerships and that is great! Educating our youth on this topic with the most up-to-date information is important to Visions and Pathways,” said Director of Outreach and Prevention at Visions and Pathways Jennifer Amaya.

Young adults and parents are encouraged to attend the info session, which will provide actionable insight into the current and future of the cannabis industry. Attendees will have the opportunity to participate in a discussion about the industry, N.J. cannabis laws, the health benefits and risks of cannabis, and career opportunities in this emerging regulated industry. Info-sessions will be followed by the workshops for young adults.

Speakers will include:

Sarah Trent – Founder of Valley Wellness and NJ Cannabis Certified. NJ Cannabis Certified offers a five-session certificate program providing training for all entry level jobs in the cannabis industry. This course offers a glimpse into the ever-growing industry and expert guidance and support with resume building. The program covers cultivation, manufacturing, testing, lab, technical and dispensary attendant jobs. More than 600 individuals have achieved certificates from the NJ Cannabis Certified program currently taught at five colleges across New Jersey. https://valleywellnessnj.com/

“Now more than ever, having access to reliable education about cannabis is important for our community,” Trent said.

Teresa A. Simon, MPH, MT – Founder of Physicians Research Center (PRC).  PRC’s mission is enhancing health and advancing science.  Teresa is currently working on a cannabis awareness program dedicated to educating young adults about cannabis. She is also spearheading data collection tools on cannabis-derived products. For more information and participation, http://www.prctrials.com/ and www.budsinfo.com.

Sam Padro – Packaging Supervisor for Verano Holdings and graduate of NJ Cannabis Certified. https://www.verano.com/.

Perry Shaw – Executive Director of Trenton Parking Authority & Building a Better Way for Trenton. Shaw is also the vice president of diversity for Valley Wellness. http://tpanj.com.

Paul Grzella – Director of the Greater Raritan Workforce Development Board. https://www.thegrwdb.org/.

Walk-Ins are welcome if space allows but registering online will guarantee a seat. To register online, visit bit/ly/Cannabis_info_session . Masks are required.

Media contacts:

New Jersey Cannabis Certified

Sarah Trent

E: admin@njcannacert.com

 

The Greater Raritan Workforce Development Board

Paul Grzella 

E: grzella@co.somerset.nj.us

Visions and Pathways

David Walker

E: dwalker@visionsandpathways.org