Dear friends and colleagues,
The combined metros of Houma-Thibodaux, Baton Rouge, and New Orleans are working on important, new, and comprehensive growth plans around key economic sectors such as water management.
Indeed, water management has the potential to provide the Southeast Louisiana Super Region with a unique export specialization that can bring new revenues into the region for decades, spurred by demand for Louisiana’s expertise. With many well-paying jobs in this cluster that do not require a full 4-year bachelor’s degree, it also has the potential to boost prosperity in the region in the medium term.
All told, the water management cluster is projected to have 12,000 job openings by 2019 in its top 20 occupations. Essential to filling these openings will be public and private investments in workforce development that can increase the supply of qualified applicants. To be sure, preparing a strong workforce in Southeast Louisiana will have substantial benefits beyond simply meeting employer demand. A well prepared low- to medium-skilled workforce benefits the economy in many ways, including identifying efficiencies in the production of goods and services, offering advice on how to improve labor processes, and even recognizing opportunities that are ripe for entrepreneurship.[i]
Moreover, as the demographics of our region and nation change, effectively boosting the recruitment of candidates of color will be an important strategy for filling these job openings. Indeed, the Super Region will become “majority minority” by 2054, and the nation will reach that milestone even sooner in 2044.
Our new infographic, developed from data in The Water Workers: Workforce Opportunities in Water Management in Southeastern Louisiana, shows how leaders can work together to maximize the workforce opportunities associated with this increasingly important economic cluster.
Check it out at:
Bringing you the data you need to make informed decisions,
The Data Center team
Caroline Heffernan, Keisha Smith, Allison Plyer, and Bernardo Espinosa
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