Technical Skills Expo at Delgado Introduces More Than 700 to Career Pathways

October 18, 2018

Delgado Community College hosted its fifth Technical Skills Expo (TSE) on Monday, October 15 and Tuesday, October 16, 2018, at the Delgado Jefferson campus, located at 5200 Blair Dr. in Metairie.

The TSE introduces high school students to high-wage, high-demand occupations in the regional workforce, and to the career pathways offered by Delgado through its Dual Enrollment (DE) program. Featured programs at this year’s TSE included carpentry, electrical, motor vehicle technology, welding, robotics engineering, precision machining and waste and wastewater technology.

During the expo, Delgado and business/industry partners provided overviews of each occupation with real-life demonstrations on state-of-the-art equipment to more than 700 students from Orleans, Jefferson and nearby parishes.

Business/industry partners included Cajun Industries, Chevron, Shell Oil and Textron. 

The students were welcomed to Delgado Jefferson by Delgado Community College Chancellor William Wainwright, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Arnel W. Cosey, Vice Chancellor for Workforce Development and Institutional Advancement and Dean of the Technical Division Arlanda Williams and Louisiana Community and Technical College System Board Member Erika McConduit. Delgado Admissions and dozens of additional Delgado faculty and staff helped to organize and stage the TSE.

This year’s TSE included a demonstration from the Delgado Fab Lab, a recently opened advanced fabrication and experimentation lab. Created through a partnership between Delgado Community College; Chevron, a longstanding TSE sponsor; and the Fab Foundation of MIT’s Center for Bits and Atoms, the Fab Lab focuses on K-12 STEM education and outreach. It is located at the Delgado City Park Campus in New Orleans.

The TSE has proven to ignite an interest in many students leading to an increase in the College’s Dual Enrollment program. In the spring of 2016, 15 dual enrollment students graduated from both their respective high schools and Delgado Community College. Eight of the graduates were from Grace King High School and seven of the graduates, known as the "Super Seven,” were from Warren Easton High School. In spring 2017 and again in spring 2018, 43 additional high school students graduated from Delgado. Many of these students learned about their programs at the Technical Skills Expo. Of the 43 students, 27 qualified for membership in the Phi Theta Kappa honor society for two-year college students.

“Delgado is excited to continue introducing local high school students to workforce opportunities,” said Dr. Arnel W. Cosey, vice chancellor of Student Affairs. Among the benefits, she noted, “Students who enroll in dual enrollment programs graduate earlier and their grade point averages tend to be higher.”

For more information on the Delgado Technical Skills Expo or the Dual Enrollment Program, contact Dr. Arnel W. Cosey at (504) 671-5055.  Business and industry representatives interested in partnering with Delgado may also contact Arlanda Williams at (504) 671-6489.

Videos

WDSU-TV news story about 2018 Technical Skills Expo at Delgado

Learn more about Delgado Jefferson

Delgado Workforce Development overview