Case Study
Spreading the News about Career and Technical Education
Clients: Education
Services: School Communications, Editorial Services, Media Relations
NJBIZ Column Increases Awareness and Visibility of NJ County Vocational-Technical Schools
THE SITUATION
The NJ Council of County Vocational-Technical Schools aims to communicate the value of career and technical education offered by the state’s 21 county-based vocational-technical schools. NJCCVTS understands the need to counter misconceptions about career-focused education to showcase the full depth and breadth of career programming available to New Jersey students. Building from a foundational understanding of the modern CTE experience, the Council wants to publicize partnership opportunities that help students jump-start their college and career journeys.
THE STRATEGY
Laura Bishop Communications arranged an editorial meeting between NJBIZ and NJCCVTS leadership, during which we pitched a monthly column from NJCCVTS Executive Director Jackie Burke. The idea was presented as a win-win. NJBIZ would receive well-written content relevant to its business-minded audience. NJCCVTS would have the opportunity to reach a target audience of employers who will one day hire vocational-technical school graduates and reap the benefits of a strong workforce. We launched the column, titled School Work, in June 2025 and have since worked closely with NJCCVTS to select topics of interest to the NJBIZ audience. We do so with our own NJCCVTS goals to showcase different programs, schools, success stories and opportunities for partnerships. We always want to reach families who may consider a county vocational-technical school for their child, but just as important, we want to reach employers who could contribute to students’ learning, professionals who may teach in a program or lead a project or lecture, and policymakers who often make decisions in support of career education. LBC takes the lead on conducting interviews and drafting each column and then works with NJCCVTS to finalize each submission.
THE WIN
The column has been well received by NJBIZ editors, who appreciate the engaging content (that requires minimal to no editing). NJCCVTS has benefited by having NJBIZ run the regular column, which both adds credibility and furthers the reach of its messaging. NJCCVTS shares links to each published column on social media and in its own news feed, which gives the Council a growing content library for anyone who wants to learn more about the modern career and technical education experience. The bylined column gives NJCCVTS control over messaging. The partnership with NJBIZ provides NJCCVTS with access to a statewide, highly targeted audience.
