: Blueprint Louisiana - To Fundamentally Improve Louisiana :

Develop the Skilled Workforce We Need

After addressing ethics in the first special session and making several strategic public infrastructure and education investments in the second special session, the Jindal Administration focused on workforce development reform in the regular legislative session. Blueprint strongly supported the effort.

Examining Blueprint’s three workforce development recommendations, we can report two major successes.

Workforce Development Recommendation #1 Designate responsibility for the delivery of workforce training to the Louisiana Community and Technical College System (LCTCS)House Bill 1104 established a re-designed, well-coordinated workforce development framework, transforming the Louisiana Department of Labor into the Louisiana Workforce Commission. Other key components of the legislation included:

The Louisiana Workforce Investment Advisory Council will serve as the mandated state council under the federal Workforce Investment Act and establish the priority workforce needs as the basis for the LCTCS funding alignment;

Louisiana’s 18 Workforce Investment Boards will become aligned with Louisiana Economic Development’s eight economic regions;

Integration of all key workforce development programs and support services from various state and federal agencies into local "one stop" centers under the oversight of the 18 Workforce Investment Boards.
These entities will be empowered to promote coordination
among state agencies and industry, define market demand for
training and provide basic services. With this new framework,
Louisiana will be better positioned to adequately prepare and
guide workers to available jobs.

HB 1104 was passed unanimously by both houses, and Act No. 743 became effective immediately when signed by the governor on July 3, 2008..

Workforce Development Recommendation #2 Establish "Centers of Excellence" to meet industry demand in key sectors.Blueprint did not pursue implementation of this recommendation in 2008. We intend to work on this item in 2009.

Workforce Development Recommendation #3 Expand "rapid response" capacityHouse Bill 1018 created a $10 million Workforce Training Rapid Response Fund to establish high-demand training programs in a timely fashion under the direction of LCTCS. The maturation of LCTCS over the past 10 years indicates an underutilized capacity to meet sector-based demand and an ability to respond to urgent, employer-specific needs and deliver the workforce training we need.

HB 1018 was also passed unanimously by both houses, and Act No. 890 became effective immediately when signed by the governor on July 9, 2008.

Updates

Blueprint Supports Senate Bill 712

Senate Bill 752 of the 2010 regular legislative session

Senate Bill 712 of the 2010 regular legislative session

House Bill 1055 of the 2010 regular legislative session

Senate Bill 297 of the 2010 regular legislative session