Louisiana gets money to ‘Work It!’

The South Central Industrial Association Workforce Committee received $375,000 during the past legislative session to pilot a new workforce development program.

The pilot workforce and marketing program, “Work It! Louisiana,” will be conducted through the Louisiana Department of Labor.

It is designed to increase enrollment in the technical education system and to encourage career paths of graduating seniors seeking a college education.

Terrebonne, St. Mary and Lafourche parishes have been both cursed and blessed with the lowest unemployment in the state for the last few years, according to SCIA. Although this means people have jobs, it also means the industry in the area has a shortage of qualified workers.

“Economic development for us is not going out and getting industries. Industries already want to come here. Industries are already here. It is developing a workforce. It’s what we need for our area,” said Sen. Reggie P. Dupre, D-Houma.

The pilot program is designed to redefine educational directions by serving as a conversion and marketing plan for kindergarten though 12th grade and the Graduate Equivalency Diploma program.

Under the program, SCIA members will work with school superintendents, technical educators, guidance counselors and lead teachers in the parishes. Presentations for the program have already been made to the principals in Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes.

“This program will just take us to the next level of training the 80 percent of high school students that will not graduate from college. We need to stop thinking that every student in high school will go and attend college. That is unrealistic to think that way,” said Dupre. “And I think we can help develop these young people into very, very productive and successful citizens.”

The marketing campaign will include posters with contact information for schools, career awareness and family festivals, weekend mall displays, the establishment of a talk show on a local TV network and DVDs of jobs containing a job description and pay incentives for homeroom viewing and vocational training.