LAFAYETTE PARISH — Louisiana leaders are calling for more emphasis on community and technical colleges as the legislative session gets underway, pointing to a growing need for workers trained for jobs that do not require a four-year degree.
For South Louisiana Community College student Landon Hanks, that path has already made a difference.
Hanks, who has autism, is studying business at SoLAcc and says the school’s smaller classroom environment has helped him succeed.
“Cheaper than most four-year universities and it's a smaller class setting. Especially for me, it helps me to be able to have more flexibility as a student with disabilities," he said.
Leaders in Louisiana’s Community and Technical College System say they want more people to consider pursuing such a path after high school.
“You know, a lot of times I hear that we're the best kept secret— this college is the best kept secret. I don't want to be the best kept secret, I want to be the first choice.”
The conversation comes as Governor Jeff Landry pushed for greater focus on community and technical colleges during his opening address at the start of the legislative session.
“We have more jobs than people ready to fill them in the state of Louisiana… but when a workforce system cannot move fast enough to operate at its scale, guess what happens? Growth slows.”
Landry told lawmakers the state’s workforce needs do not always align with how students are traditionally guided after high school.
“Louisiana spends more than $300,000,000 on TOPS, while only $6,000,000 of it goes to students pursuing vocational and technical education.”
TOPS, or the Taylor Opportunity Program for Students, is Louisiana’s primary college scholarship program and is most commonly used by students attending four-year universities.
In Acadiana, a recent economic impact study found South Louisiana Community College generates nearly $295 million in annual economic activity for the region and supports more than 4,000 jobs.
Leaders with the Louisiana Community and Technical College System say expanding awareness of those programs could help connect more students with careers that industry leaders across the state say they are trying to fill. They also say increasing support from lawmakers could help make programs more accessible and affordable for students considering community and technical colleges as a starting point for entering the workforce.
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