Labor supply and demand in the Capital Region analyzed
BATON ROUGE, La. (September 5, 2017) – The Baton Rouge Area Chamber (BRAC) today published its annual workforce report summarizing skilled occupations with the highest projected demand for 2018, along with how many people completed trainings for these professions over the last year. The report collates a broad array of information from local education and training institutions, state governmental entities, and national databases in order to get a full picture of the workforce pipeline for the nine-parish Capital Region. The report is available online at brac.org/reports.
“Ensuring that the regional labor supply is being trained to succeed in high-demand occupations is critical for sustained economic growth,” said Adam Knapp, BRAC’s president and CEO. “Since BRAC began analyzing the region’s workforce in 2015, we have seen progress not only on the number of skilled completers, but also on the labor supply’s ability to pivot around industry needs.”
Key findings from BRAC’s analysis of the available data are:
- Generally, the Capital Region has shown improvements for high-demand occupations for which there were potential shortfalls for 2017, and the workforce pipeline for most occupations is robust;
- Over the next year, the largest projected workforce demand is for electricians, registered nurses, and carpenters;
- Over the last year, the occupations for which the most trainings have been completed are registered nursing, welding, accounting, and heavy truck driving;
- The Louisiana Community and Technical College System (LCTCS) has converted to a more detailed method of tracking skilled craft course completers, providing the public with a more accurate picture of the workforce pipelines for these occupations;
- Local business leaders were given the opportunity to provide feedback for the 2018 industry growth projections, but were not asked to give input concerning the 2018 annual occupational projections created by Louisiana Workforce Commission (LWC) economists;
- The LWC occupational projections for computer and technology sector jobs are up significantly for the region, highlighting the need for graduates and completers in this sector;
- Local school districts have taken steps to improve their career and technical education programs;
- Regional businesses have continued to forge public-private partnerships with LCTCS institutions for skilled craft and customized trainings; and
- Private employers have funded and engaged in programs to encourage those looking to enter the skilled craft workforce to hone their soft skills.
The full report is available online at brac.org/reports.
About the Baton Rouge Area Chamber
The Baton Rouge Area Chamber (BRAC) leads economic development in the nine-parish Baton Rouge Area, working to grow jobs and wealth and to improve the business climate and competitiveness in the region. Today, BRAC investors include more than 1,500 small businesses, midsize firms, large industry and entrepreneurial startups, as well as individuals and organizations that support business and economic development. In this capacity, BRAC serves as the voice of the business community, providing knowledge, access, services and advocacy. More information is available at brac.org.
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Morgan is the Marketing Manager for the Baton Rouge Area Chamber. In her role, she manages writing organizational publications and materials, oversees BRAC’s social media and blog, and coordinates timelines for all internal marketing projects.