One of the main goals of New Community Career & Technical Institute (NCCTI) is to help students find work upon graduation. Chanda Webb is the school’s Career Services Coordinator. She helps students prepare for work and makes connections with potential employers so that she can provide candidates when they are looking to hire.

Since starting the role in October, Webb has gotten to know all of NCCTI’s current students as well as recent graduates. She reaches out to those who have completed their programs to find out if they are employed and if they need assistance finding a job. If graduates are unemployed or still looking for work in their field of study, Webb requests their current resume and works with them to improve it. She also reaches out to her employer contacts to see if they are hiring.

She recently helped an Automotive Technician graduate who was working at Home Depot while still looking for a job in his field of study. Webb connected him to Elite Auto in West Orange where he interviewed and was hired.

Webb hopes to create a network of employers that she can contact, but that also reach out to her when they are in need of employees.

“I want to connect with businesses and make sure we’re the go-to place,” she said.

Webb enjoys the camaraderie at NCCTI among her colleagues and their dedication to the mission. She said no one is doing the job simply for the paycheck.

“There’s a desire to really help students get to the next level. And to really make the program work,” she said.

Webb has a wealth of experience in the area of education and employment. She worked at Essex County College (ECC) for five years as a transfer advisor, helping students transition from ECC to four-year colleges. She also served as a workforce development coach there. She worked at The Arc of New Jersey as a job coach, job developer and manager for many years. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, she left ECC and focused on real estate. She is still a real estate agent, helping clients when she’s not at NCCTI. 

She decided to apply for the job at NCCTI to get back to impacting students.

“I just felt like I wanted to do this again, connect people to people, businesses to our students,” Webb said. “And I knew I could make a difference in that, especially in Newark.”

NCCTI Director Dr. Sylvia McCray is glad that Webb has joined the school.

“She brings a lot of knowledge in career readiness skills, workforce and job development,” McCray said. “The addition of Chanda to the Financial Opportunity Center rounds out the team, allowing them to be fully functional and immersed in planning and implementing their strategic goals for students (current and alums). I look forward to seeing what they will accomplish in the upcoming year.”

As she grows in her current role, Webb hopes to set up internship and externship programs, hold value assessment workshops and host fun events where area business owners can come and share their experiences to offer encouragement and be an inspiration to students.

Webb has been a resident of Bloomfield for 25 years. Her daughter and son-in-law live in the same building. In her free time, she enjoys walking as well as going to museums and sightseeing with her daughter and son-in-law.