2-year system on message at Capitol: Prepare workforce

BATON ROUGE – Louisiana lawmakers have a firm grasp on and appreciation for the mission of community colleges and technical schools, system President Monty Sullivan says, which makes his mission simple as the 2015 session of the Louisiana Legislature wears on.

“We’re taking a page out of the playbook we use year in and year out,” said Sullivan, speaking in the corridors of the State Capitol. “We produce workforce.

“We will continue to work with legislative leaders to solve the workforce challenge. People need us now more than ever before.”

Sullivan was at the Capitol all last week, touting legislation like House Bill 250, which would add money to the Workforce Training Rapid Response Fund, and HB 720, which permits the two-year system’s Board of Supervisors to contract with private companies to more efficiently provide campus services.

State support for public higher education has shrunk, but Sullivan said lawmakers understand that the two-year system provides workers — sometimes in quick order — to fill jobs in new and expanding industries.

An impending budget shortfall of $1.6 billion for fiscal year 2016 appears to threaten higher education funding, which is not constitutionally protected in Louisiana, but Sullivan said he is “absolutely encouraged” that lawmakers won’t forsake the Louisiana Community and Technical College System.

“The unified support for higher education has never been higher in this building than during this session,” he said. “The Legislature wants to make sure people have access to quality training programs.”

That’s why Sullivan says LCTCS remains focused on its continuing mission as he tours the Capitol, meeting with key lawmakers and shoring up support for funding. He said the system’s capital projects are focused on workforce demands, such as the nursing building that will be constructed at South Louisiana Community College in Lafayette, and remain in the funding “pipeline.”

The two-year system remains committed to the goals expressed in autumn 2014, developed through meetings with business and industry leaders, economic and workforce experts, education partners and more. Those ambitious goals called for the system to double the number of graduates from 20,000 to 40,000, double the earnings of those graduates from the $720 million earned in 2013, increase enrollment and foundation assets and quadruple the number of student transfers to four-year schools — all by 2020.

Inherent in the plan is a focus on hard-to-fill jobs in computer science, welding, electricians, engineering technology, construction trades, industrial production and accounting. Sullivan said the system would reach out to students where education has never been available before through vigorous efforts in online, weekend and night classes.

Sullivan said lawmakers understand those goals and support them.

SLCC Chancellor Natalie Harder, who attended legislative committee meetings with Sullivan, said the response from lawmakers was “very positive.”

“I think the Legislature and particularly Acadiana legislators clearly understand the need for workforce development,” she said. “When you look at (economic) announcements, if we are going to be competitive, we need increased educational attainment.”

She said two-year schools have targeted “high-demand, high-wage jobs and can be ready at a moment’s notice to meet workforce needs.”

The good news for SLCC is that the school is stable financially and that it will maintain that stability.

“I have the hardest working faculty and staff you could ask for,” she said. “Folks are keeping their eye on the goal: Educate and train our students.”