Delgado and Venture Global LNG Announce ‘Will to Skill’ Training Program in Plaquemines Parish

June 24, 2020

Venture Global LNG Inc. officially kicked off its Will to Skill program in Plaquemines Parish, LA, on Wednesday, June 10. The inaugural class, which is administered through Delgado Community College, aims to provide students with the opportunity to earn a nationally recognized National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) certification.

The first cohort of 19 students will receive training for the NCCER Electrical Level 1 certification. This training program is fully funded by a grant from Venture Global LNG and is exclusively designed for Plaquemines Parish residents. All training will take place at facilities in Plaquemines Parish and at no financial cost to program participants.

In addition to the partnership with Delgado Community College, Venture Global has also teamed up with the Plaquemines Parish School Board and the Plaquemines Parish government to help plan, promote and implement the Will to Skill program. To ensure maximum accessibility and flexibility, students were able to choose to attend either the 12-week night class at the Plaquemines Parish Learning Center in Port Sulphur or the 9-week day class at the Plaquemines Parish Government Complex in Belle Chasse.

Venture Global hopes to extend the program to include a second cohort later this year, and to potentially broaden the program to include courses in additional high-demand trades.

Venture Global LNG’s Co-CEOs, Mike Sabel and Bob Pender, commented: “Venture Global is excited to make this community investment in the residents of Plaquemines Parish, who have welcomed us since we began developing the Plaquemines LNG export facility. We view the Will to Skill program as an important opportunity to help revive local Louisiana economies. We hope that by bringing these training opportunities home to Plaquemines Parish, students will gain the skills, both technical and soft, to successfully compete in the job market.”

Arlanda Williams, vice chancellor, Workforce Development and Institutional Advancement, Delgado Community College, commented: “The Delgado Workforce Division promotes personal, professional and economic development through initiatives designed to maintain a skilled workforce and enhance the quality of life on local, regional, national and international levels. We are excited to support this initiative to support the residents of Plaquemines Parish.”   

Kim Tubre’, director, Corporate and Community Development and Continuing Education, Delgado Community College, stated: “This training is a partnership that exemplifies what the Delgado Workforce Division promotes. Our team builds professionals by enhancing industry growth for employers to retain, upgrade and attract a skilled workforce for our region.”

Delgado Community College will celebrate 100 years of service to the New Orleans region in 2021. The oldest and largest community college in Louisiana, Delgado provides instruction online and at seven locations. Delgado offers students the most comprehensive array of education and training services available in the New Orleans region. Additionally, Delgado has articulation agreements with most of the state’s four-year colleges and universities that allow students to transfer their Delgado credits to bachelor’s degree programs. As well as offering degrees and transferable college credits, Delgado provides diplomas and certificates in many professional and technical areas. Workforce development is a priority at Delgado, hence the college’s well-known motto: “Education that works!”www.dcc.edu

Venture Global LNG is a long-term, low-cost provider of liquefied national gas (LNG) to be supplied from resource rich North American natural gas basins and is currently constructing or developing 50 MTPA of LNG production capacity in Louisiana. The 10 MTPA Venture Global Calcasieu Pass facility is under construction at the intersection of the Calcasieu Ship Channel and the Gulf of Mexico. The 20 MTPA Venture Global Plaquemines LNG facility is expected to commence construction this year and is located south of New Orleans on the Mississippi River. More can be found at www.venturegloballng.com.