As Ascension Parish continues to grow, the school system is working to prepare students not just for college, but for the skilled trades, technical careers and service jobs already in demand across the parish.
“We’re trying our best to prepare kids for possible jobs for the area,” Ronda Matthews, supervisor of career and technical education, says.
Today, Ascension Parish Schools offers more than 50 national certifications, with programs ranging from process technology, welding, electrical, carpentry, pipefitting and millwright training to pharmacy tech, cosmetology, business, Adobe, customer service and medical pathways. Many of those programs are full, and some have waiting lists.
Welding, for example, is taught at every high school in the district, Matthews says, and students can also pursue advanced training through partners such as ABC Pelican and River Parishes Community College.
The district’s process technology pathway is one of the programs most closely tied to Ascension’s industrial base. Matthews describes process technicians as the operators who help run plants—a potential “foot in the door” for students interested in industrial careers.
The need is clear, she says. Ascension Parish has nearly 40 chemical plants, and those employers need operators, millwrights and other skilled workers.
To keep programs aligned with local demand, Matthews works with an advisory board made up of industry and business leaders. The group, meeting each summer, helps guide what the district should and should not offer, based on workforce needs in the area.
Those partnerships also extend beyond the classroom. More than 400 students participated in internships last year, according to Matthews. While plants are often unable to offer internships to high school students, students are finding placements in school system departments, hospitals, daycares, retail businesses, smaller companies and Tanger Outlet.
Career exploration also starts before high school. Under state requirements, students begin working on individual graduation plans in eighth grade, but Ascension Parish also introduces career conversations earlier. Career coaches visit sixth and seventh graders in feeder schools, and the district hosts a large college and career expo each September at Lamar Dixon Expo Center. The event draws eighth graders and their parents, along with about 40 colleges and more than 100 businesses.
Matthews says part of the challenge is making sure both students and parents understand what is available. The district has worked to better market its programs, but she says parents are often surprised to learn about options like process technology, welding or other technical pathways available to children in the public school system. Another major part of the work, she said, is fighting the stigma attached to blue-collar careers.
Industry partners have also supported the district through scholarships, externships and program support. Matthews says companies including BASF, Shell, CF Industries and Air Products have been involved in various ways, from scholarships to robotics and STEM programming.
