Industry Educational Resources

New Jersey has a wealth of education and training events available for the food industry and NJFPA membership gets you even more!

NJFPA Industry Research

NJ Food Manufacturers Benchmarking Survey 

In 2021 NJFPA partnered with Rutgers Food Innovation Center, the NJEDA, and Grassi Advisors & Accountants to create a benchmarking survey that examined the challenges and opportunities the NJ Food Processing Community experienced over the extraordinary year that was 2020.

Access a link to the 2021 session recording
Download a copy of the 2021 report presentation

In 2023 & 2022 a partnership with Crain's New York Business expanded the survey to NY Food and Beverage manufacturers as well. 

Download a copy of the 2023 report
 2022 report

The findings point to the resiliency and agility of the industry in the face of challenges, where the industry can focus next, and indicates a positive overall outlook for the sector. If you are interested in working with the NJFPA to create other resources for our state and our industry, contact [email protected] or 888-859-8832.



NJMEP Food Training Program 

New Jersey Manufacturing Extension Program (NJMEP) supports manufacturers and those within the supply chain in managing operational risks, achieving food safety regulatory and certification standard requirements, and realizing sustained business value. To meet your food safety training needs NJMEP offers a wide array of food safety courses including Cleaning and Sanitation to FDA Food Labeling Nutrition Facts as well as our always on-demand Self-paced Online Training for Food Manufacturers

Learn more at NJMEP.org

Rutgers Food Innovation Center

The Food Innovation Center at Rutgers University (FIC) is a unique food business incubator and accelerator. Combining years of industry expertise and the advanced technologies offered by Rutgers, they provide business, marketing, food safety, product design and scale up expertise within FDA and USDA certified facilities to help companies successfully build and grow their business.

  • Learn more about the FIC: NJFPA Food Forum Podcast Episode #3 interviewing FIC Director Nolan Lewin
  • NJFPA members can attend FIC training courses at 10% discount.
  • NJFPA members have the opportunity for a no-cost initial consultation with FIC
  • FIC training opportunities at the NJFPA Conference.
  • FIC educational content shared in NJFPA member newsletters.

Learn more at Foodinnovation.rutgers.edu

Professional and Executive Education at Rutgers (PEER)

Programs range from Continuous Process Improvement/Lean Six Sigma to Project Management to Professional Sales Skills, to name a few. In addition to the traditional in-person and online delivery model of continuing education, PEER has introduced their Personal Learning Coach hybrid delivery. The PLC works like a personal trainer for your business. They evaluate their clients’ current program and goals, provide motivation, push their clients harder, and facilitate behavioral changes at a pace that works for them … and get the results that they and their organization anticipate. NJFPA member organizations will receive a 15% discount on many of the certificate and program offerings in their catalog. 

Learn more about PEER at Rutgers School of Business

Continuing Education at New Jersey's Community Colleges

Each year, New Jersey's 18 community colleges enroll nearly 150,000 students in noncredit continuing and professional education programs. Businesses, industries, individuals, and health and government agencies throughout the state take advantage of these affordable and accessible programs. New Jersey's community colleges offer hundreds of continuing and professional education programs that lead to licensure, certification and career opportunities.

Find the community college closest to you and visit the continuing and professional education web page of the New Jersey Council of County Colleges at http://www.njccc.org