The Louisiana State Legislature recently approved several bills as part of a comprehensive package designed to revamp the state’s workforce development programs to focus on job training in emerging industries to ensure these fields have a highly qualified labor pool in the coming years.
The workforce reform package is centered on the creation of the Louisiana Workforce Commission, which will replace the state’s Department of Labor. The new commission will oversee the entire workforce development system and is charged with integrating workforce development initiatives through educational and training programs, with the purpose of developing a highly skilled workforce. A Workforce Investment Council also will be established to set workforce training priorities based on input from business leaders.
With an estimated 100,000 job vacancies across the state, lawmakers also passed legislation aimed at helping companies fill current workforce needs. HB 1018 establishes the Louisiana Community and Technical College System Workforce Training Rapid Response Fund and dedicates $10 million annually to supplement the cost of high-demand workforce training programs at community and technical colleges. The type of training programs to receive funding will be determined by market demand and economic and employment projections, according to the governor’s office.
The passage of these bills will help achieve the goals in the Louisiana: Vision 20/20 strategic plan, recommended by Gov. Bobby Jindal earlier this year (see the March 5, 2008 issue of the Digest). The approved budget for fiscal year 2008-09 includes several proposals championed by the governor for the Louisiana Department of Economic Development, including: