The Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act, or Perkins V, serves as the primary federal investment in Career and Technical Education (CTE). The Louisiana Perkins V State Plan depends on having strong regional teams to ensure rigorous education and training opportunities that lead to high-wage, high-skill, in-demand occupations are available to all citizens. The purpose of the regional approach is to better target the needs of industry, including small and medium-sized enterprises, and to ensure that Perkins funds are focused on achieving the greatest outcomes. Leveraging the regional team model which existed under Perkins IV, the previous regional teams were consolidated into eight coalitions that match the Regional Labor Market Areas (RLMA) identified by the Louisiana Workforce Commission. Each coalition, led by a Perkins Regional Coalition Coordinator (PRCC), consists of stakeholders vested in CTE- (1) secondary, post-secondary, adult, and corrections education, (2) business and industry, (3) workforce and economic development, (4) students and parents, and (5) foundation and community partners. These members help to assess and inform CTE programming in their region by utilizing local needs assessments and employment data to support planning and decisions. We will highlight a few of the success stories from the field.
Recent highlights
REGION 1
Collaboratively, region 1 team members have launched a regional catalog and have formed a unique and close working relationship with their local workforce partners worthy of spotlighting and sharing with everyone.
Please click on the links below to view:
Workforce Partner’s Regional Meeting Presentation PPT (Information, style, and format example) See the valuable information shared on slides 4 and 8.
Ms. Weaver is the Perkins Coordinator for region 1 and can provide additional information, if needed. While each course catalog will be unique to the specific region based on the region’s needs and various course offerings, Ms. Weaver has offered to share information for you to create and launch your own catalog for your region.
PRCC Lead Region 1
Kathy M. Weaver
[email protected]
504-671-5464
REGION 2
Through the collaboration and efforts of BRCC, NTCC, and RPCC, the Perkins V regional initiative has been branded as CAREER WAVES 2 (CW2). The colleges regional representatives have been working on technology-based solutions bringing recourses together to improve recruiting, retention, completion, and placement rates for all CTE students. The region also launched the uConnect platform, designed to connect regional LCTCS colleges (and potentially Delgado) together to offer CTE support services benefitting all high school students, college students, and their families. The service will allow students to have access to career and job preparation information to support and broaden regional CTE efforts. Additionally, students will have the opportunity to view live presentations that target regional workforce demands, career skills, reinforcement of CTE knowledge, and an increasing number of regional events. Virtual tours are being scheduled to showcase the platform to area community colleges, instructors, secondary partners, high school administrators, counselors, etc. so that partners can share information with students and parents. Mini tours are also available on the link. Soon, their course catalog will be embedded in this platform, too.
Please use the link below to view:
Additionally, CTE faculty from the colleges come together quarterly with faculty from the high schools in professional learning communities (PLCs) designed to foster collegial relationships as discussions result in diverse professional and educational outcomes. The two established PLCs are for nursing and drafting faculty. Lastly, CW2, in partnership with LOFSA, is instituting CTE College Peer-to-Peer Networks. The goal is to provide students with resources to help improve retention and completion. Currently, LOFSA is hosting statewide peer networks in nursing, engineering, and business. Ultimately, CW2 will launch its own nursing peer-to-peer network modeled after LOFSA's with the main goal of helping nursing students persist until the completion of the program of study and successfully transition to employment and/or a four-year university.
Northshore Technical Community College (NTCC) has a STEM Mobile lab that services the community with visits to K-12 schools, other colleges, and worksites with hands on equipment that students can try out career exploration simulations with on-the-job experiences. In addition, Industry-based Certification (IBC) testing is offered with national certification classes and transferable IBCs. Also, OSHA10 and CPR/First Aid safety training classes are hosted. In addition, on-site nursing, Maritime Technology with Marine Outboard Motor Technician Training, and drafting and design are supported as well. Other activities include STEM fest and career days, along with plans for IT internships.
Furthermore, they have organized outreach programs with rural elementary and middle schools to host the Star Lab, which is an inflatable planetarium. It has ADA access with a ramp. They want to serve our communities and are willing to share these learning opportunities with students may or may not have access. For more information, please contact Charles Crabtree or Chris Montgomery at NTCC, and they will be more than happy to help others.
PRCC Lead Region 2
Shelsi Barber-Carter
[email protected]
225-216-8053