Blog

By Steve Bandy, Managing Editor of Crowley Post Signal The citizens of Iota are beginning to see the fruits of their labors. For years, a volunteer committee has been holding fund raisers–pausing for COVID-19–in order to build the first-ever community park. Carrie Leckelt, who chairs the all-volunteer group, explained they agreed to name the parkRead more

By Greg Hilburn, Lafayette Daily Advertiser, published on June 25, 2021.  Louisiana adults will be able to access grants to pay for education for high-demand, high-paying careers beginning next summer at the state’s community and technical colleges after Gov. John Bel Edwards signed the MJ Foster Promise program into law. Louisiana Community and Technical College System President MontyRead more

One Acadiana announced on Thursday, June 24, that they, in collaboration with Louisiana Economic Development, will host the sixth cohort of the Acadiana CEO Roundtable program. The 2021 Acadiana CEO Roundtable program will begin on August 5, 2021. CEO Roundtables bring together groups of 15-18 key decision makers from Louisiana-based small businesses 10 times overRead more

State policy leaders play a vital role in advancing credential transparency as a critical part of their larger economic and education strategy. Many organizations are encouraging state policy leaders to integrate transparency with efforts aimed at quality, attainment goals, equity and affordability. State policymakers can support quality assurance of credentials through the following actions: PrioritizeRead more

By Ty Kiisel, June 16, 2021 Small business owners in Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Shreveport, New Orleans, and dozens of other Louisiana towns can’t always do it alone. They need resources to support them in launching, building, and growing their businesses. Whether that’s taking business courses from Louisiana Economic Development (LED), getting a mentor at aRead more

BATON ROUGE, LA (June 10, 2021)–As the 2021 Regular Legislative Session wrapped up Thursday, the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry (LABI) singled out its list of landmark bills passed by the legislature that can truly change the Louisiana business climate for the better. “This has been an extremely collaborative session where legislators worked togetherRead more

The current economic recovery places a premium on knowledge and skills required by industries and occupations that have reaped increasing demand for their products and services. As a result, state policymakers are appropriately prioritizing high-quality, demand-driven career pathways that culminate in postsecondary credentials that lead to in-demand, high-wage jobs. To do that well, states needRead more

Article written by Pete DeBellis for Deloitte.  Before 2020’s global pandemic, the majority of workers across the world performed nearly all their work at an employer-provided workplace. That model was upended as millions of workers were advised-and in some cases, required-to redefine the spaces in which work gets done. So began what many are callingRead more

On May 7, Director Tanya N. Garfield of the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Disaster Field Operations Center-West reminded Louisiana private nonprofit organizations of the June 7, 2021, deadline to apply for an SBA federal disaster loan for economic injury caused by Hurricane Laura that occurred August 22-27, 2020. Private nonprofits that provide essential services ofRead more

On March 31, 2021, the Biden administration released the American Jobs Plan, President Biden’s infrastructure proposal. There’s a lot to be excited about in this plan, including massively increased funding for transit and passenger rail-but how we target the funding matters as much as how much we spend. Here is a breakdown of the plan doneRead more