Making it easier to enter public health, grow in the field,
and lead efforts that improve community health.
We build the systems and support the people that make public health work, expanding pathways into the field, strengthening leadership, and preparing a workforce equipped to serve communities across New Jersey. Public health works best when there are strong systems and skilled people behind it. This includes a prepared and supported workforce, organizations that are connected and able to work together, and opportunities for people to enter and grow within the field. It also means building leadership and ensuring the workforce reflects the communities it serves.
CHEW-NJPHI focuses on strengthening both the infrastructure and the workforce needed to improve health outcomes across New Jersey.
Why it Matters
Across New Jersey, there is increasing demand for a strong, connected public health workforce. At the same time, many organizations face challenges with staffing, coordination, and long-term capacity. Without intentional investment in workforce pathways and infrastructure, it becomes harder to respond to emerging health needs, reduce disparities, and sustain progress over time. By strengthening workforce development and public health infrastructure together, we help create a system that is more responsive, more equitable, and better prepared for the future.
How We Do This
We create pathways by connecting students and emerging professionals to real-world public health experience, supporting growth through mentorship and professional development opportunities, strengthening systems by building connections across organizations and sectors, and developing leaders by preparing the next generation to lead with an equity-centered approach.
Our Programs
Building pathways into public health careers.
Connecting learning to practice: PHCP helps students gain real-world public health experience by linking classroom learning to applied work in communities and organizations, and by connecting students with industry partners to support internship hours, fieldwork projects, capstones, and other applied learning requirements. Expected by the end of 2026.
PHutures provides semi-structured mentorship, guidance, and professional development to help emerging public health professionals grow, build confidence, and move into leadership roles. Expected in 2027.
Our work is designed to support the full journey into and through public health. We create opportunities for people to enter the field, connect them to real-world experience, and support their growth through mentorship and leadership development. At the same time, we work with partners to strengthen the systems that support workforce success. This approach helps build a more connected, sustainable, and effective public health workforce across New Jersey.
Who this is for:
This work supports students exploring public health and related careers, early-career professionals seeking experience and mentorship, and public health practitioners looking to grow and lead. It also engages frontline professionals, universities, health departments, healthcare organizations, and community-based organizations and partners committed to strengthening the public health workforce.
Partnership
Building a strong public health workforce
requires collaboration.
CHEW-NJPHI partners with organizations across sectors to create learning opportunities, support mentorship, and strengthen public health infrastructure. Together, we can expand pathways into the field and support the next generation of public health leaders. We envision a New Jersey where public health infrastructure is strong, connected, and built to last, and where the workforce is prepared, supported, and reflective of the communities it serves. By investing in people and systems, we are helping build a public health future that is more equitable, more effective, and more sustainable.
