Jewish Vocational Service of MetroWest New Jersey (JVS) is a non-sectarian, community-based, workforce development organization dedicated to helping job-seekers—including those from underserved and often marginalized populations—acquire the skills and training they need to secure and maintain gainful employment over the short- and long-term.

For more information about our mission and history, please click here.

JVS provides assistance to the following underserved populations:

• Adults with physical, emotional, developmental, and social disabilities, including adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder
• Job-seekers who are unemployed, under-employed, or looking to make a career transition, including Adults 50+, recent college graduates, and graduate students
• Immigrants and refugees
• Military veterans
• People who want to obtain a high school equivalency diploma
• People in underserved communities.

No; in fact, approximately 60% of the people we serve are not Jewish. Guided by our Jewish heritage and values, JVS believes everyone has something of value to contribute to the world—and deserves to live and be treated with dignity. Consequently, we serve clients from all walks of life, without regard to religious affiliation, age, race, gender, nationality, ethnicity, sexual orientation, political perspective, or socioeconomic status.

Simply, put EVERYTHING WE DO. JVS is Jewish not because of who we serve—but because of WHO WE ARE. Our mission is founded on the Jewish teaching that helping people help themselves is the highest form of tzedakah, or social justice. And, our vision of creating a world where everyone is empowered to fulfill their own potential, regardless of the challenges they may be experiencing, compels us to reach out to “the others” among us, those whom society often ignores.

For more information about who we serve—and the services we provide—please click here.

Our services fall into several program areas. We meet with clients to help them determine which services will best help them meet their employment objectives. 

Workforce Development

• Pharmacy Technician training programs
• Certified Home Health Aide training programs
• Certified Apartment Maintenance training programs

Vocational Rehabilitation

• Career counseling and job placement assistance
• Comprehensive vocational evaluation services
• School-to-career transition services for people with disabilities
• Career Center for people with Autism Spectrum Disorder
• Job skills training in a variety of industries, including retail, hospitality, and office-based businesses
• Internships and Skill-building Through Service opportunities
• One-on-one job coaching
• Services for the deaf and hard-of-hearing
• Services for military veterans, including case management and support groups

Career Counseling and Job Placement

• Job search coaching and support, including assistance with resume and cover letter writing and interview preparation
• Career and education planning
• Services for Job-seekers 50+
• Services for college students, recent college graduates, and graduate students
• Networking groups and workshops
• Student loans and grants

Education and Literacy

• Classes in English as a Second Language and Adult Basic Education
• Refugee Services
• Citizenship Exam Preparation

Private Career School

• Microsoft Office Specialist classes in Word and Excel
• Customer Service Representative training
• English as a Second Language classes
• Adult Basic Education classes

Corporate Training

• Leadership
• Management
• Human resources
• Lean processes
• Grant procurement
• Professional development
• Microsoft Office

Custom Business Solutions

• Mailing services
• Labeling
• Packaging
• Assembly
• Quality control

For more information about the services we provide, please click here.

JVS has a singular focus: to provide our clients with the tools and training necessary to help them get and keep a job. Our staff of highly-trained and dedicated professionals meets of our clients where they are and tailors their approach to best meet the job-related needs and goals of each client. While we do provide other types of assistance on a limited basis (for instance, connecting clients to resources like SNAP, TANF, emergency housing, etc.), our primary focus remains helping our clients help themselves achieve economic self-sufficiency by preparing them to enter and be successful navigating today’s competitive workforce environment.

Each year, more than 2,000 individuals turn to JVS for help.

That’s a great question, and the answer is, in a variety of ways. JVS views our impact as a continuum—a series of benchmarks our clients meet as they progress toward achieving their ultimate goal of securing long-term gainful employment:

• For clients in our Vocational Rehabilitation program, that means working to overcome disability-related barriers to employment.
• For immigrants and refugees participating in our Education & Literacy classes, that means learning to communicate in English and acquiring a working understanding of basic skills like reading, writing, and math.
• For job-seekers receiving assistance from our Career Counseling and Job Placement department, that means staying in the game long enough to find the right job once they’ve polished their resumes and mastered skills like cover letter writing and interviewing.
• For our corporate training clients, it means providing them with customized training that can help their businesses measurably reduce costs, optimize efficiencies, maximize profits, or all-of-the-above.

Research shows that economic self-sufficiency not only creates impact for those who achieve it but also for those they provide for. People who are able to adequately support themselves and their loved ones enjoy better physical and mental health, better education, a more stable home life, and greater opportunity—and pass those benefits on to future generations, as well. Consequently, the impact created by JVS not only changes the lives of those we serve—it changes the lives of those they serve, too.

For more information about our impact, please click here.

Absolutely. A donation to JVS is both a thoughtful and fitting way to pay tribute to the honor or memory of a loved one.

Yes. Jewish Vocational Service of MetroWest New Jersey is a community-based, non-profit organization. Our 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status is certified by the Internal Revenue Service.

We provide an official tax receipt to every JVS donor who makes a donation to JVS. If you’re making your donation via our website, you will receive an automated confirmation email detailing the date and amount of your gift, which will act as your official tax receipt. If you’re making a donation by phone, mail, or at an event, you will receive a written confirmation letter via traditional mail detailing the date and amount of your gift, which will serve as your official tax receipt.

YES! JVS believes in the value of collaboration; consequently, we offer area businesses and other community-based organizations a myriad of sponsorship opportunities—and a wide range of participation levels:

• Event sponsorships
• Program sponsorships
• Naming opportunities
• Strategic partnerships
• Shared services opportunities

Always. If you have skills to share—and the time and willingness to share them—we would love to welcome you to our team. Current volunteer opportunities include:

• Tutoring in basic reading, writing, and math
• Tutoring in Conversational English
• Tutoring in basic computer skills
• Help with resume and cover letter writing
• Help with interview preparation

For more information on donations, sponsorships, partnerships, and volunteer opportunities, please click here.