Blog

Hurricane Ida slammed Southeast Louisiana on August 31, 2021, sixteen years to the date after Hurricane Katrina devastated the same region. As many communities begin the often long process of cleaning up the damage done by these storms, it is important to be knowledgeable on correct procedures to properly restore normalcy. LSU AgCenter offers theseRead more

Original article written by Bhaskar Chakravorti for Harvard Business Review.  Finally, America appears to be taking bold action on fixing its fraying infrastructure. President Biden’s proposed Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act–despite being negotiated down in a bipartisan deal–is a significant step in addressing one of the country’s most pressing, deeply rooted, and often overlooked problems:Read more

On Thursday, August 12, the U.S. Census Bureau released its latest round of information from the 2020 Census. The date shows changes to the demographic makeup of the country over the past decade, which states will now use to decide congressional redistricting procedures. The results are a snapshot of everyone living in the U.S. onRead more

By Andy Medici-Senior Reporter, The Business Journals, 7/16/21 The Small Business Administration officially closed its Paycheck Protection Program to new loan applications at the end of May, and subsequently closed its Restaurant Revitalization Fund grant program in early July, leaving small business owners with dwindling options for relief. But there are still some grant programsRead 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

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

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

For those of us living along the Gulf Coast, hurricane season is a yearly issue, with new updates of possible storms and getting ready for the weather. Particularly in Louisiana, the extremely active 2020 hurricane season brought devastation to last year. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), there were a total ofRead more

Every three years, Ochsner Lafayette General and Our Lady of Lourdes conduct a Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA). This year, these long-standing healthcare organizations have partnered together with United Way of Acadiana to intentionally listen and respond to the needs of the community. The three entities are now asking for community input in the formRead more