LYNN — Jennifer James Price is leading the newly formed Employer Relations Division at North Shore Community College as assistant vice president, prioritizing new relationships with local employers and playing a crucial role in aligning programming to local market demand.

The role will serve as a single point of contact for all regional employers to the college.

“I’m thrilled to join North Shore and build on my experience in workforce development to enhance relationships between the college and the communities we serve,” Price said.

A large part of Price’s role will be strengthening the connections NSCC has with the health-care community, including the recent allocation of $1,000,000 in federal funding to expand and enhance science labs on our Lynn campus. In addition, Price will be focusing on manufacturing, STEM, and IT as the fastest growing industries and most urgent needs.

Prior to joining NSCC, Price served as the undersecretary of workforce development for the Massachusetts Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development. In her role there she was responsible for the development and oversight of major state and federal workforce development programs and funding streams. As undersecretary, Price brought together industry leaders in priority sectors — such as health care, IT, manufacturing, life science, finance, and beyond – to create statewide partnerships with education and workforce partners focused on industry hiring needs and talent pipelines.

“This division is a crucial part in the strategic plan of North Shore to meet the needs of the community and build skill-based programming directly aligned with the needs of our local workforce,” North Shore Community College President William Heineman said.

Price holds a master’s degree in urban development and city planning with a concentration in labor economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a bachelor’s degree in social work from the University of New Hampshire.