TCNJ and Mercer County Technical Schools launch AI and robotics dual enrollment pathway to build New Jersey’s future workforce
Publish Date: 2026-06-11 15:39:00
Source Domain: news.tcnj.edu
On Wednesday, June 10, 2026, The College of New Jersey and Mercer County Technical Schools celebrated the launch of a groundbreaking dual enrollment partnership that will provide high school students with a direct pathway into the rapidly expanding fields of artificial intelligence and robotics.
Supported through the New Jersey Department of Education’s highly competitive Expanding Career Pathways in Artificial Intelligence & Robotics Grant, the partnership establishes one of the state’s first comprehensive AI and robotics career pathways connecting secondary education, higher education, and workforce preparation. Mercer County Technical Schools was one of only two districts statewide selected to receive the grant.
“This partnership represents the very best of public education working together to create opportunity,” said Michael Bernstein, president of The College of New Jersey. “By connecting high school students with college-level learning experiences in artificial intelligence and robotics, we are expanding access, strengthening workforce readiness, and helping students envision themselves as future innovators, engineers, and technology leaders. Together with Mercer County Technical Schools, we are creating pathways that will benefit students, employers, and communities across New Jersey.”
L-R: Michael A. Bernstein, TCNJ president; Kristin L. McLaughlin, county commissioner; Dan Benson, county executive; Charles Powell, superintendent of Mercer County Technical Schools; Carlos Barrezueta, deputy secretary at the New Jersey Office of the Secretary of Higher Education | Photo credit: Anthony DePrimo
The grant program was established by the New Jersey Department of Education to help county vocational-technical school districts partner with four-year colleges and industry specialists to develop rigorous Career and Technical Education pathways in AI and robotics. The initiative also promotes generative AI literacy and fosters collaboration among…
