LCTCS, Delgado Announce Short-Term Training Program to Boost Workforce

September 16, 2020

This week, the Louisiana Community and Technical College System (LCTCS) launched Reboot Your Career, a program designed to support workers who may be unemployed due to COVID-19 and re-train them for available jobs on high-wage career pathways.

The campaign launched Sunday, September 13, during the New Orleans Saints game with a 15-second video prompting those interested in learning more about the campaign to visit lctcs.edu/reboot. Visitors will then be able to indicate their college of interest and occupations for which they are interested in receiving training. 

Each institution is then responsible for providing reduced cost, short-term training with the goal being to increase the number of credentialed individuals entering or reentering the workforce.

At Delgado Community College, the state's largest college by enrollment and a key player in economic development for New Orleans and southeast Louisiana since 1921, the Reboot Your Career efforts will be spearheaded by the Workforce Development and Technical Education team, under the leadership of Vice Chancellor Arlanda J. Williams.

LCTCS colleges propose to train no less than 5,000 individuals in the 2021 fiscal year in short-term, high-demand programs. Training programs will be aimed at no more than 12 weeks in length, with most programs in the 8-week timeframe. Certification programs will be focused on those that 1) place completers in jobs earning a target salary of $50,000 annually, and 2) are part of a career path where additional certifications and education will allow for advancement. The certifications will be focused on those skill sets most in need in their respective regions, such as industrial technology, healthcare, transportation and logistics, manufacturing and information technology. 

In July, Governor John Bel Edwards prioritized federal CARES Act funding for this critical initiative, which is available now through the spring of 2021. This investment will result in the training of about 5,000 of Louisiana’s people in short-term, high-demand programs, resulting in millions of dollars in recurring annual sales tax, property tax and income tax collections from those who complete training. 

“By targeting GEER Funds for higher education in two priority areas, the Governor is accelerating economic recovery in Louisiana,” said Louisiana Commissioner of Higher Education Kim Hunter Reed. “Training residents for today’s in-demand jobs is critical, and our community colleges are ready to deliver. Higher education is grateful for this support, and we’re all in when it comes to driving this recovery.”

LCTCS institutions have been some of the most productive colleges in the nation over the last five years. In fact, since 2014, LCTCS colleges have shown an increase of over 60% in completers. Collectively, LCTCS colleges produced over 33,428 graduates in 2019-20, encompassing a significant growth in short-term credentials and certificates to 15,083. These completers come from every corner of the state, both rural and urban communities, and represent every aspect of our state’s demographic. Nearly half of those graduates completed short-term, high-demand certifications with an average annual income of over $50,000. 

For more information on Reboot Your Career, visit lctcs.edu/reboot.