State struggling to keep up: Louisiana’s community and technical colleges are struggling to keep pace with workforce demands from major projects such as Hyundai’s steel plant, Meta’s Hyperion data center and SpaceX’s launch facility, with companies also recruiting instructors and students before they complete training. LCTCS President Richard Nelson says the system needs to double its enrollment of Louisiana residents and gain more than $100 million in additional annual funding to expand training capacity, retain skilled faculty and provide facilities and student support. Higher education leaders are urging major employers to help fund workforce development, arguing that training the workers needed to sustain large industrial investments must be part of the economic development equation. Louisiana Illuminator has the full story.
Data center on-site power: California startup Parallax has raised $117 million to develop smaller natural gas turbines that can provide on-site power for data centers facing long waits for grid connections. The company plans to use 3-D printing to simplify turbine manufacturing, targeting units capable of producing about 10 megawatts while relying on more common materials and broader supply chains than traditional turbines. Parallax aims to build its first prototype by the end of this year, test it next year and begin delivering turbines to customers in 2028 as demand for data center power equipment continues to surge. The Wall Street Journal has the full story.
Lowest since July: U.S. unemployment claims fell to 197,000 last week, down from a revised 198,000 and the lowest level since mid-July, signaling that layoffs remain historically low. Employers have been adding an average of 80,000 jobs per month this year, though hiring remains well below the pace seen in 2023 and 2024. The September jobs report is expected to show 52,500 new jobs and an unemployment rate of 4.1%, according to FactSet. The Associated Press has the full story.
