Delgado’s Progress in Biz New Orleans “Top 10 Business Stories of the Year”

December 02, 2019

  1. Workforce Development Offerings Expand: This fall brought a wide array of new programs.

By Kim Singletary

In July, Business Facilities magazine ranked LED (Louisiana Economic Development) FastStart as the nation’s No. 1 state workforce training program for a record 10th consecutive year. As workforce development remains a top concern throughout almost every industry, local colleges and universities stepped up this year in a big way.

This past fall, Delgado Community College launched 23 “Minimester” or compressed classes that offer full credit, along with 55 online Minimester classes, including 21 courses in accounting, business administration, management and marketing.

The college also launched the only health coach certificate program in New Orleans, partnered with Café Reconcile to offer Café Reconcile participants and alumni a free College and Career Readiness class that started this fall at Café Reconcile, and began offering a new suite of internet technology courses designed to equip locals with the necessary skills to advance their careers.

On Oct. 1, the inaugural Jefferson Parish-based Manufacturing Summit took place — a partnership between the Jefferson Parish Economic Development Commission (JEDCO) and Delgado Community College River City Site & Advanced Manufacturing Center. The event offered training programs, educational resources and tax incentives at every level across the state to support manufacturing growth.

This year, Tulane University’s School of Professional Advancement (SoPA) saw a 50% increase in enrollment following the first year of its new, updated digital design program with concentrations in graphic design, interactive design and game art and animation, along with the launch of three new computer labs. The Tulane School of Architecture received a $2 million gift to establish the Saul A. Mintz Global Research Studios, a new program that will give students an opportunity to work internationally on critical global issues, and the A.B. Freeman School of Business at Tulane University teamed up with the National Venture Capital Association (NVCA) and UC Berkeley School of Law’s Startup@BerkeleyLaw initiative, to shine a spotlight on the South’s startup ecosystem with VC University LIVE in the South from September 19 through September 21.

A new Mechatronics Apprenticeship program opened this year as well, in which GNO, Inc., Nunez Community College, Delgado and Northshore Technical Community Colleges partnered with Elmer Chocolate, Laitram and Zatarain’s for a two-year commitment to enhance and prepare apprentices for careers in manufacturing technology.