Want to Work With Cannabis? NJ is Seeking Apprentices

Want to get involved in cannabis retail, but don't know where to start?

A paid apprenticeship program from New Jersey and key partners is taking applications for its first round this summer.

Courtesy of $325,000 in funding from the New Jersey Department of Labor, the pilot program will take on 20 individuals who can commit to 2,000 hours on the job with a cannabis employer, and 144 hours of online and in-person classroom instruction through Rowan University.

"It's a win for the retailer, it's a win for the student, and for the university, we get to educate people and build a stronger workforce," Joe Cardona, vice president for university relations at Rowan, told New Jersey 101.5.

The one-year apprenticeship is open to applicants from anywhere in New Jersey. Cardona said the initiative will hopefully be expanded to include more individuals later on.

New Jersey's Cannabis Apprenticeship Training Initiative is one of the nation's first programs dedicated to training workers in the cannabis retail field. It's the product of a consortium that includes NJDOL, Rowan University, Rowan College of South Jersey, the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 360, the New Jersey State AFL-CIO, the Gloucester County Workforce Development Board, and Loud Wellness, Inc. of Glassboro.

Consortium members are developing models for additional cannabis apprenticeships in cultivation, manufacturing, and distribution.

Those who are interested can register with this link. That's also where interested employers and instructors can submit their info.

The deadline to register is June 15.