Sponsored by East Baton Rouge Parish School System
Across the Greater Baton Rouge region, industry leaders are sounding the alarm: highly skilled craftsmen are retiring faster than they can be replaced. From welders and millwrights to electricians and ironworkers, these careers are essential to keeping the industrial economy running, and they also offer students a clear path to stability, advancement and long-term success.
The East Baton Rouge Parish School System is answering this call through a strategic focus on industrial crafts and workforce development. According to Amber Boyd, Executive 
At the high school level, students can choose from career pathways including carpentry, welding and automotive mechanics, gaining foundational skills that translate directly into high-wage, high-demand jobs. For those whose home campuses don’t offer their preferred pathway, the EBR Career and Technical Education Center (EBR CTEC) opens even more doors. At CTEC, students engage in hands-on learning and can earn industry-recognized credentials in areas such as HVAC, instrumentation, electrical, architecture, carpentry and automotive mechanics.
These programs are not just about learning a trade, Boyd says. They are about building a sustainable pipeline of talent for local industries. That’s why the East Baton Rouge Parish School System is deepening its collaboration with key partners who share in the commitment to developing the next generation of skilled craftsmen.
Beginning next year, students will have expanded opportunities through partnerships with ABC Pelican, Associated Builders and Contractors and Ironworkers Union Local 623. ABC Pelican will offer training and credentials in AWS welding, NCCER millwright and NCCER pipefitting, giving students access to the same high-quality preparation that powers the region’s construction and industrial sectors. Ironworkers Union Local 623 will provide instruction in scaffolding, rigging, welding and ironworking, further broadening the range of pathways available to students who are ready to build a career.
These partnerships are about more than coursework, Boyd says. They connect classroom learning with real-world expectations, mentors and job sites. As industry partners continue to emphasize the urgent need for skilled craftsmen, EBRPSS is proud to play a leading role in meeting that demand. By aligning students’ passions with tangible career opportunities, the school system is helping to build a stronger workforce and a more competitive regional economy.
“If you enjoy working with your hands, solving practical problems and seeing the results of your efforts in the real world, industrial crafts may be the perfect fit,” says Superintendent LaMont Cole. “Whether you dream of designing, building, repairing or maintaining the infrastructure that keeps our community running, there is a place for you in these programs.”
Students interested in these opportunities can apply through EBR CTEC by following this link.
