Though there’s been significant progress in the Baton Rouge area to increase the number of individuals who complete skilled crafts and health care training programs, more work must be done to guide trainees and students toward specific high-demand careers, a new report from the Baton Rouge Area Chamber says.
The annual regional workforce report summarizes the occupations with the highest projected demand for workers in the Baton Rouge area in 2018 and revisits past recommendations to create a robust pipeline in the Capital Region.
Specifically, BRAC recommends K-12 educators provide meaningful opportunities for students to engage in the workplace so they’re better prepared for life after school. Businesses also should partner with educators to develop curricula that would ensure a robust and well-trained workforce pipeline, BRAC says.
In addition, the Louisiana Workforce Commission and Workforce Investment Council should review draft occupational projections with BRAC and the local workforce development board in a streamlined and formalized process, the report says.
Progress has been made toward training more people in areas like registered nursing, welding, accounting, and heavy truck driving, the chamber notes. But next year, the highest demand for labor in the capital area will be for electricians, registered nurses and carpenters.
There must be a continued focus on guiding students and trainees toward those specific high demand occupations, BRAC says.
“Ensuring that the regional labor supply is being trained to succeed in high-demand occupations is critical for sustained economic growth,” BRAC President and CEO Adam Knapp says in a statement. “Since BRAC began analyzing the region’s workforce in 2015, we have seen progress not only on the number of skilled completers, but also on the labor supply’s ability to pivot around industry needs.”
