As its name suggests, River Parishes Community College is tied to the Mississippi River corridor, and many of the school’s graduates obtain employment with regional chemical and petrochemical companies between Baton Rouge and New Orleans, and with employers in other key sectors. But as the need for workers continues to grow in this part of Louisiana, River Parishes Community College must expand student enrollment to meet demand. Thus, the college has proposed a new Technical Training Center that will provide opportunities in several curricula, attract more students to its programs, and build a powerful case for community and technical education.

The proposed $9.2 million facility will offer process technology, welding, industrial instrumentation, industrial maintenance, construction,  and workforce development services. Many of these programs are currently in place at River Parishes Community College, but they need to be expanded to stay apace with the projected workforce needs of the region.