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Goal #3: Develop the Skilled Workforce We Need
Louisiana’s workers should have access to high-quality, market-driven training
to build job skills for today’s economy.
The Problem
An alarming “skills gap” exists in Louisiana – too many citizens lack the skills they need to earn a good living, and too many
employers can’t find prepared workers to fill open jobs. While economic projections show that up to 65 percent of new jobs in 2020
will require a two-year degree, Louisiana ranks dead-last among the 50 states in the number of high school graduates that receive an
associate’s degree within three years of graduation.
The Solution
The Louisiana Community and Technical College System should be strengthened and
charged with delivering the high-demand, industry-sensitive programs we need. By improving
coordination with industry leaders and developing “rapid response” capacity, our community
and technical colleges can prepare our citizens for greater success in the workplace and provide
Louisiana companies with skilled workers to grow their businesses.
Approximately two-thirds of all new jobs in the next few
decades will require more training than high school but
less than a four-year college degree. Good community
and technical college systems fill this void by providing
accessible, affordable access to job skills training for
any citizen who wants a good job.
– Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana, 2003
The Blueprint for Action
- Designate responsibility for the delivery of workforce training to the Louisiana Community and Technical College System. Workforce development is
repeatedly identified as a state priority, but there is a severe lack of coordination across workforce programs operated by various state agencies. The system is remarkably
complicated, making it difficult for employers and job seekers to access and use the resources available for our workforce.
Workforce development must be completely re-designed in Louisiana – including responsibility for training delivery and responsibility for determining market demand for
training. The Louisiana Workforce Commission and the regional Workforce Investment Boards (WIBs) should be re-defined and empowered to promote coordination
among state agencies and industry, define market demand for training, and provide basic services, such as one-stop centers. The separate responsibility for workforce
education and training delivery should be centralized at the Louisiana Community and Technical College System. The maturation of our community and technical
colleges over the past 10 years indicates an underutilized capacity to meet sector-based demand, respond to urgent, employer-specific needs, and deliver the workforce
training we need.
With campuses across the state and ease of access for thousands of potential workers, community and technical colleges are well positioned to assume the leading
role in the delivery of workforce training. The Louisiana Community and Technical College System must have both the authority and resources to develop and implement
market-driven courses that are guided by demand and need, as determined by a revamped Workforce Commission and WIBs that are led by business leaders and
prominent industries.
Accountability must accompany funding. With a clear, re-defined division of responsibility, the primary state entities responsible for workforce development – the
Workforce Commission and the Louisiana Community and Technical College System – should be held accountable to their mission and goals. Partnership will be critical,
and linkages between demand and delivery should be encouraged. The Centers for Excellence concept (recommendation #2 below) will facilitate these close working
relationships, regular information sharing, and a fluid workforce development system. A redesigned, well-coordinated framework – with centralized authority and a clear
division of responsibilities for workforce demand and training delivery – will take Louisiana a long way toward adequately preparing and guiding workers to available jobs.
Investment in our future: $1 million
- Establish “Centers of Excellence” to meet industry demand in key sectors. In order to design relevant training programs, stakeholders should jointly determine the
drivers of Louisiana’s economy and the curriculum required to prepare workers for the future. Yet agencies tend to compete with one another for funding, and business
leaders report a lack of faith in the state’s workforce system.
To overcome these challenges, industry-specific forums should be established to connect business leaders with the community and technical college system, Workforce
Investment Boards, state agencies, local business leaders, and four-year universities. Regular interaction through the “Centers of Excellence” would consolidate sectorspecific
information and translate research into curriculum development and workforce training in such high-demand fields as advanced manufacturing, construction, oil
and gas, and health care. Following the lead of model states, these structures should be located at key campuses that will offer flexible, quality education and training
programs for targeted industries that drive Louisiana’s economy.
Investment in our future: $1.75 million
- Expand “rapid response” capacity. “Rapid response” funds exist within the Louisiana Department of Economic Development, but these resources are targeted for
specific companies, not industry or sector-specific training. In the aftermath of the hurricanes, community and technical colleges received $15 million for a “rapid response”
Pathways to Construction program. More than 9,000 citizens received free training with industry-recognized certification and transferable skills. Building on this successful
model, the legislature should establish a $10-$15 million standing “rapid response” training fund, without ties to specific program areas, to enable community and technical
colleges to continue to address urgent workforce needs as they arise.
Investment in our future: $15 million
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