Community and technical colleges need a dedicated source of funding if they are going to continue to provide the workforce needed to fill Louisiana jobs, the state’s community and technical college system president said today.
Monty Sullivan, head of Louisiana Community and Technical College System since February 2014, told the Press Club of Baton Rouge that no matter what happens in the last days of the legislative session, the state needs to focus on workforce development through the 2015 gubernatorial campaign.
“Louisiana is rich in natural resources,” Sullivan said. “There is no greater resource we have in this state than our people, and the investment in our people is happening in our education.”
Sullivan said 85% of jobs coming into the state require a two-year degree, but not enough people are completing degrees each year to fill them, meaning the positions are either left unfilled or are filled by out-of-state workers.
“We are seeing growth that is outpacing the state average, but yet our challenge is sustaining that,” Sullivan said. “The only way we sustain it is by having our people educated and skilled at the level to needed to fill those jobs. Never forget that those jobs came here portable and they can leave here just as portable.”
Sullivan said for the state’s community and technical colleges to keep up with the economy, the system would need to double the number of students served annually to 325,000, increase business partnerships to 1,000, double the number of annual graduates and double the number of students who transfer to four-year schools.
“But we didn’t just come to the Legislature with this pamphlet,” Sullivan said, holding up a brochure that detailed the community and technical colleges’ needs. “No, we know we need to increase revenue and increase the foundation assets on our campuses.”
He said the first steps are in reaching out to workers who have unfinished degrees and becoming more innovative in recruiting students and developing programs.
More than 500 programs have been eliminated from community colleges in favor of aligning education programs to the jobs and opportunities available, Sullivan said. Of the state’s 2.3 million working age population, 1.6 million do not have any post-secondary education.
“We have a responsibility to the people of this state to make sure that they have and education level to participate fully in this economy,” Sullivan said. “We cannot go forward as the means of education and training our people as the portion of the budget that is funded last or is cut first.”
—Deanna Narveson
