2011. A recurring meeting in River Edge
The network began in January 2011 in River Edge, New Jersey. It gave job seekers a weekly place to discuss applications and interviews. A regular schedule made it easier to show up with an update and carry useful suggestions into the next week.
2013. Expansion and a public record
Connecticut legislative staff studied the program as a possible model for community support. The review described meetings in multiple New Jersey communities and expansion to Boston and Washington, D.C. Media reports drew attention to workers whose unemployment continued after the recession.
2014. Partnerships and workforce discussion
PSGCNJ announced a joint meeting effort with the network in Bridgewater. Separate coverage documented a meeting with U.S. Labor Secretary Thomas Perez in which workers discussed the effects of long-term unemployment.
Continue to the media archive and the job seeker advocacy overview.