BATON ROUGE, La. – The Louisiana Community and Technical System (LCTCS) is proud to announce the results of its Our Louisiana 2020: Building the Workforce of Tomorrow public agenda. In October 2014, the LCTCS Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the aggressive six-year plan to build a better Louisiana by significantly boosting the skills and earnings power of its citizens.
Embraced by all 12 community and technical colleges, the plan set a bold agenda for Louisiana that included quickly expanding its pool of highly skilled workers. The plan’s six goals addressed the workforce development needs of the state amid unprecedented capital investment, among other critical conditions affecting the state. Collectively, LCTCS colleges achieved four of the six goals.
View ourla2020.lctcs.edu for the full analysis of the conclusion of Our Louisiana 2020.
Governor John Bel Edwards said, “I am very proud of the accomplishments of the students, faculty, and staff in the LCTCS and the energy they have poured into the Our Louisiana 2020 public agenda. Their hard work is synonymous with the priority we have placed on our two-year colleges. Since being elected in 2016, my administration has been committed to investing in our community and technical colleges because they provide the quickest opportunity for our people to earn good-paying jobs. Our investments have included resources for the Reboot Your Career job training program, budget stability, and hundreds of millions of dollars in facility improvements at campuses across Louisiana. They will continue to help us connect more students with great careers and continue Louisiana’s economic momentum for years to come.”
“To witness the remarkable work of our chancellors, faculty, and staff has been amazing. In the face of adversity, they took the Our Louisiana 2020 challenge head-on and delivered excellent results”, said LCTCS Board Chair Paul P. Price, Jr. “As a Board Member who provides policy direction, I am happy to see our policy decisions having positive real-life effects on people. I am most proud of the earnings goal because it proves that what we are doing is working, and the people we are training are earning credentials and jobs to provide for their families.”
Jennifer Burgess, a recent graduate of Baton Rouge Community College and former LCTCS Board of Supervisors Student Member, symbolizes the success stories of the tens-of-thousands of LCTCS graduates across the state. “My first attempt at college was not successful for several reasons. When I was 30 years old, I decided to go back to school because I needed to provide for myself. The community and technical colleges, specifically Baton Rouge Community College, worked with me on my GPA and provided me the opportunity to succeed. Despite the obstacles I faced as a first-generation college student, I graduated near the top of my class, had the pleasure of serving on the Board of Supervisors, and am now employed at IBM in my dream job as a Junior Project Manager. I am grateful for the opportunities our community and technical colleges provided to me and others in the same situation I was in.”
“I am proud to be a part of a team with the courage to take on and successfully tackle what we know is one of the most important issues facing Louisiana today,” said Monty Sullivan, president of Louisiana’s Community and Technical Colleges. “The commitment and focus of our chancellors, faculty, staff, and students to achieve this level of success is remarkable. Despite budget challenges, declining enrollments, natural disasters, and the COVID-19 pandemic, our people were steadfast in achieving these goals.”
Stephen Waguespack, president of the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry, stated, “On behalf of our 2,000 member companies, LABI congratulates the Louisiana Community and Technical College System on the success of the Our Louisiana 2020 public agenda. The work of our community colleges is directly tied to the success and future growth of the state’s economy. LABI is proud to work side-by-side with the leadership at LCTCS and college chancellors to provide workforce solutions throughout Louisiana.”
"Congratulations to the faculty, staff, and Board of Supervisors of the LCTCS for the tremendous success of the Our Louisiana 2020 public agenda,” said Michael Hecht, President & CEO of the Greater New Orleans, Inc. “Your commitment to improving the state's educational attainment levels and increasing economic development opportunities has not gone unnoticed. The impact of LCTCS graduates and colleges on the New Orleans economy and beyond is evident in the graduates' earnings. There is more work to be done, and GNO, Inc. is excited to work alongside LCTCS to continue serving the people of Louisiana.”
Sullivan adds, “While we have had some level of success, there is more work to do. With input from various internal and external stakeholders, we are currently engaged in the early stages of developing the next public agenda and look forward to sharing it in the future.”
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