Florida Parish News

Bogalusa, LA –Northshore Technical Community College (NTCC) administrators are celebrating the expansion of their Heavy Equipment Operator program at the Sullivan Campus in Bogalusa. Grant funds from Louisiana Watershed Initiative (LWI) creates a workforce skilled in professional resilience occupations (PRO), which are critically important in disaster recovery and mitigation efforts.  

PRO Louisiana provides federal funding for occupational training courses that are vital to the state's flood recovery and resilience efforts. The goal is to develop a skilled workforce that can support flood risk reduction projects and build Louisiana’s defense against future disasters.   

Last year, NTCC became one of six Louisiana Community and Technical College System (LCTCS) colleges to offer PRO Louisiana Heavy Equipment Operator courses. They began with a new HEO program at the Lacombe Campus. Heavy equipment operators, which are in demand and crucial to the success of flood resilience efforts in Louisiana. PRO Louisiana will support additional courses in the future, such as flood risk analysis and resilient construction methods for builders, contractors and other professionals. 

NTCC Chancellor, Dr. William Wainwright, praised the efforts of NTCC’s Workforce Division for their efforts in securing the additional $300,000 PRO Louisiana funds to expand its heavy equipment operator program to the Sullivan Campus. “The success of the HEO program in Lacombe demonstrated the need for skilled operators in our region. Being able to purchase new equipment to launch a program in Bogalusa will help provide much-needed trained professionals to begin construction careers as a heavy equipment operator in Washington Parish and surrounding areas.” said Wainwright.

“Expansion of the PRO Louisiana Heavy Equipment Operator program to the Louisiana Community and Technical College System’s Bogalusa campus will provide area residents with an opportunity to develop the skills needed to be part of a recovery workforce that effectively and efficiently responds to disasters in our state,” OCD Executive Director Pat Forbes said. “This training will create a pipeline of work-ready resilience professionals that are vital to the success of the Louisiana Watershed Initiative and the more than $1 billion in federal funding that will be going into flood mitigation projects over the next 10 years.” 

“At the heart of our mission is being able to provide affordable, accessible educational options to the Northshore community that also enhances the communities that we serve,” said Wainwright. "Our construction industry partners have asked for skilled heavy equipment operators, we have responded to their needs, and they have provided employment opportunities.”  

Anyone interested in participating in NTCC’s Heavy Equipment Operator program, or who would like to receive additional information, are asked to contact ntccworkforce@northshorecollege.edu.  

 

About Northshore Technical Community College 

Northshore Technical Community College (NTCC) is a comprehensive college with a rich history of providing workforce training and academic pathways to universities across the state of Louisiana. Beyond the traditional classroom and workforce training opportunities, NTCC provides opportunities for students seeking our Adult Education, ESL, and YouthBuild programs.  NTCC is comprised of its Main Campus in Lacombe, Hammond Area Campus, Florida Parishes Campus in Greensburg, Sullivan Campus in Bogalusa, and the Livingston Parish Campus in Walker.  In 2015, NTCC was recognized by the Brookings Institute as the first in the nation for economic value of its graduates.  The Chronicle of Higher Education named NTCC in 2019 as seventh fastest growing colleges from 2007-2017.  NTCC was also awarded the Top Places to Work in New Orleans by the Advocate Times-Picayune in 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022. If you would like more information about the Northshore Technical Community College, check us out at www.northshorecolle.edu.  
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