The LEDR Program Awards Scholarships to Students Completing an Internship at New Jersey Manufacturing Extension Program (NJMEP)

Cedar Knolls, New Jersey – August 8, 2018 – The LEDR Program has awarded Leadership Grants to three local students interning at NJMEP to support their pursuit of careers within the community. The Grants historically range from $500 – $1,000.

NJMEP is a not-for-profit company that works with New Jersey’s manufacturers to help them become more efficient, profitable and globally competitive. The LEDR Program (www.ledr-tef.org) is a real-world Young Adult Mentoring Effort that recently completed its sixth year of operation, and has a focus on Post-Secondary Education, Government, Service, Business & STEM. The program accepts statewide nominations for those NJ Residents between 15 to 20 years of age, male & female that attend at no-cost – and – now has 218 Alumni from 19 out of 21 NJ Counties. All Alumni, Staff, Boy & Girl Scouts that have supported the program can apply annually for Scholarships that honor Bob Beaman – a long-time Boy Scout Volunteer and a LEDR Founding Board Member who passed away in 2015. NJMEP supports this endeavor through its Manufacturing Cares initiative.

The recipients of the first round of the LEDR Program Leadership Grants were as follows:

• Devin Kates: Attending Raritan Valley Community College and pursuing a degree in Communications. She will be graduating in the Spring of 2019, and his hoping to use her education to pursue a career in Public Relations. Kates has been working as an HR Assistant at NJMEP.
• Michael Cohn: Attending New Jersey Institute of Technology and pursuing a degree in Mechanical Engineering Technology, and a minor in Manufacturing Engineering Technology. He will be graduating a year early with the class of 2020, and is hoping to use his education to help create a safer future. Cohn has been working as a Sales Intern at NJMEP.
• Alexander Bergeron is attending County College of Morris pursing an Associate degree in Business. He will be graduating in the Spring of 2019, and is hoping to use his education to either work in a skilled trade or as a teacher. Bergeron has been working as a Marketing intern at NJMEP.

“At NJMEP, we encourage and support students in our community to learn about careers in manufacturing,” said John W. Kennedy, CEO of NJMEP. “The LEDR Program Leadership Grants provides opportunities and can help develop the future leaders of our industry.”

During their summer internships at NJMEP, the students experience full time/part time work hours and participate in supervised, on-the-job activities with Managers. They focus on learning about their field of study in a hands-on environment.

About NJMEP: NJMEP is a private, not–for-profit organization that improves the profitability and competitiveness of New Jersey’s manufacturers. Backed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), NJMEP enables organizations to enhance their productivity and efficiencies, reduce costs, and improve employee performance. For more than 20 years, NJMEP has used its extensive network of connections and proven track record of success to help manufacturers adapt to the latest innovative technologies and best practices to realize more than $3.8 billion in value. Our services are categorized into the following three areas: Operational Excellence, Innovation and Growth Strategies, and Workforce Development. NJMEP also has a signature philanthropic program, Manufacturing Cares, which is designed to provide a platform for manufacturers to give back to the community by pooling efforts to increase our impact.

For more information about Manufacturing Day, please visit: ‘Made in New Jersey’ Manufacturing Day.