Closing the Construction Skills Gap in Louisiana

ALACHUA, Fla. — 2015 marks the fourth year of the Louisiana Workforce Commission and NCCER's Build Your Future partnership for construction recruitment and image enhancement in the state of Louisiana. Since the Build Your Future/Build Louisiana initiative began in 2011, NCCER training module completions have increased by approximately 94 percent throughout the state. Additionally, NCCER training level completions within the Louisiana Community and Technical College System have risen by an astounding 145 percent.

Statistics like these show there is a great deal of interest in construction across the state, but individuals are not always aware of career opportunities or how to find training. With the undeniable demand for skilled workers along the Gulf Coast, the state of Louisiana has been making progress in meeting that need by partnering with BYF to recruit, train and place craft professionals. Build Your Future/Build Louisiana is more than just a marketing campaign; it is a unique collaboration of employers, state agencies and industry associations that provide Louisiana residents with the skills they need to obtain high-paying, lifelong construction careers.

The state of Louisiana chose BYF as its recruitment and image enhancement initiative for the construction industry because, as an NCCER initiative, BYF delivers a comprehensive plan for closing the skills gap. NCCER provides industry-recognized credentials with an expansive workforce development program that allows states like Louisiana to train and place individuals, as opposed to only recruiting and promoting. Build Your Future/Build Louisiana is comprised of the Louisiana Workforce Commission, Louisiana Community and Technical College System, Louisiana Board of Regents, Louisiana Economic Development, State Department of Education, Associated Builders and Contractors Pelican Chapter, plant operators, industrial construction employers and NCCER.

“Our employers have long recognized the value of NCCER's programming and credentials and have helped spread their adoption throughout the state,” said Curt Eysink, executive director of the Louisiana Workforce Commission. “The customized marketing materials created by BYF have helped us develop outreach strategies that continue to be effective.”

Build Your Future/Build Louisiana uses recruitment videos, craft professional trading cards, posters, bookmarks, construction career paths, brochures and online resources to introduce students and others to construction careers. While these resources are available for any organization, BYF partners, such as Louisiana, have the ability to customize material with their own branding and information, including customized print advertisements and TV or radio commercials.

The achievements of Build Your Future/Build Louisiana are the result of stakeholders having a vested interest in each other's success and collaborating to promote craft careers and facilitate craft training. As Louisiana's construction industry expands, organizations using BYF's resources and NCCER training are significantly closing the skills gap among the state's craft workforce. For more information, visit www.byf.org.