LED creating digital introductions to Louisiana cities

For much of the nation, Louisiana is seen as a backwater, and “reality” television doesn’t help that image. FastStart, a workforce readiness and recruitment project of LED, is creating websites tailored to different areas of the state meant to show another side of Louisiana’s culture and business climate in hopes of attracting highly skilled workers. LED Secretary Stephen Moret says the first specialized site, focused on New Orleans, is almost ready to go live. “It’s kind of like a digital introduction to New Orleans,” he says. Sites for Baton Rouge and Monroe are on the way. The project is a response to requests from corporate executives who want help selling their areas to potential employees in other states. The sites, some of which will not be accessible to the general public, will feature transplants talking about their experiences in Louisiana. “When you’re talking about software development or corporate headquarters [for example], you’re never going to be able to fill 100% of those jobs just in Louisiana,” he says. “We want to fill as many [with locals] as we can. But for those things to work, those types of companies want to feel like they can get a mix of local talent and national talent.” —David Jacobs