海角社区

In January, 海角社区 led a team of more than 50 education, industry, government, community and capital partners to win the largest, most competitive grant ever awarded by the National Science Foundation to build regional innovation engines to transform local economies and bring new solutions to the world. 海角社区鈥檚 team, called Future Use of Energy in Louisiana, or FUEL, is focused on expanding the state鈥檚 number-one industry鈥攅nergy鈥攖hrough workforce and technology development and by converting research into readily available solutions and tools.

Recent state estimates say today鈥檚 energy job count could double by 2050. The current energy workforce of around 250,000 could then employ as many as 500,000, and that is something FUEL will help enable, including by steering resources to industry-aligned programs at Louisiana鈥檚 two-year community and technical colleges. FUEL elevates both traditional and new energy sources and the state鈥檚 vast chemical manufacturing industry, with dozens of plants clustered along the Mississippi River between New Orleans and Baton Rouge.

鈥淥ur college has always been affiliated with advanced manufacturing to provide skilled employees to work in the facilities right in our backyard,鈥� said Quintin Taylor, chancellor of River Parishes Community College, a FUEL partner with four campuses along the river. 鈥淧rocess technology and instrumentation and electrical are our top programs, and we鈥檙e now looking at challenges as opportunities.鈥�

In advance of the FUEL win, River Parishes Community College embarked on an ambitious effort to work directly with industry to retool its sometimes decades-old curriculums and create a Future of Energy Workforce Consortium that is focused on talent development as well as upskilling and reskilling incumbent workers and college instructors鈥攁nd more.

鈥淭his is not just a project. It鈥檚 a movement that will impact generations, pull families and communities out of poverty and meet the workforce needs of the local energy sector of today and tomorrow. It鈥檚 a strategic move,鈥� said Theron Williams, Shell Americas Learning Solutions Manager for the U.S. Gulf Coast, referring to the college鈥檚 efforts to connect their educational programs with energy companies鈥� evolving needs and other academic systems, such as 海角社区 and Southern University, with FUEL enabling closer alignment between education and industry at large.

During his off Fridays, Williams chairs the Future of Energy Workforce Consortium, setting up office in Taylor鈥檚 conference room.

鈥淭his is how we really begin to fundamentally change not just the energy sector, but communities in Louisiana that in some instances have not always had access to education, good incomes and careers,鈥� Taylor said. 鈥淔UEL will continue to build on what we鈥檙e already doing, because it takes resources, it takes people and it takes time. Putting together our workforce consortium and partnering with FUEL, this is how we serve our students for the future.鈥�

As Louisiana鈥檚 international energy companies move toward lower-carbon processes and products driven by global demand, many of the skills and equipment needed to produce energy and manufacture chemicals in the state will remain the same or similar鈥攁t least for a while. That鈥檚 good news for Louisiana鈥檚 generational energy workforce. Yet, products and systems are evolving, and will continue to do so, with carbon capture and increased electrification, for example.

Shell Energy and Chemicals Park, Norco, already produces renewable fuels, lower carbon ethylene and circular chemicals from recycled plastics, while continuing to make traditional oil products. Two years ago, Shell invested $27.5 million in 海角社区 to establish the now thriving Institute for Energy Innovation and support scientific discovery through the Our Lady of the Lake Health Interdisciplinary Science Building, currently under construction.

鈥淲e must continue to sow seeds for our future,鈥� Williams said. 鈥淓ach of our industry partners sits on the continuum of energy鈥攐il and gas, electrification and renewables, such as wind and solar鈥攚hich presently meets the needs of our customers. As we prepare for our future today, we position Louisiana and our region for continued growth and prominence in the energy sector.鈥�

Since August, River Parishes Community College in Gonzales operates an 80-foot distillation unit on its campus to train students, hands-on, how to work in the advanced manufacturing industry in various roles. This $5 million investment was made possible in part by FUEL partner BASF. The college also operates a methanol unit on its Reserve campus. Methanol can be produced from low-carbon sources and used as a clean-burning fuel for cars, trucks, buses and ships.

A big part of FUEL is about attracting and retaining top talent in Louisiana. Last month, River Parishes Community College hired Donovan Thompson, who holds a Ph.D. in organic chemistry and polymer chemistry from the University of Florida, as dean of their new Energy Sciences Division and as executive director of their Future Energy Workforce Consortium.

鈥淐hoosing to join the academic efforts to make Louisiana the next energy epicenter was a huge opportunity for me to foster change, growth and work in an expanding arena,鈥� said Thompson, who came to education from industry, having worked for many years as a chemical engineer. 鈥淓nergy education will be the blueprint for how Louisiana and its partners鈥攊ndustry, government and educational institutions鈥攊mpact clean energy domestically, but with an international focus.鈥�

Further downriver, past New Orleans in Chalmette, FUEL partner Nunez Community College continues to invest in a new wind curriculum for turbine technicians with options ranging from certificates to technical diplomas to associate degrees. Nunez is also a partner with 海角社区 and Greater New Orleans, Inc. on the $50-million H2theFuture project to advance hydrogen as an alternative fuel, and a pending $50-million Economic Development Administration Tech Hubs proposal for Gulf Louisiana Offshore Wind, or GLOW, enabled by the 海角社区-led team鈥檚 recent win in securing Tech Hubs designation for Louisiana.

鈥淪imply put, we need resources to get new things up and running,鈥� said Cheri茅 Kay LaRocca, vice chancellor for education, training and student success at Nunez Community College. 鈥淔UEL will help with that, and allow us to work even closer with industry. That鈥檚 the name of the game when it comes to workforce development because we can鈥檛 theorize鈥攚e have to know what kind of employees they need.鈥�

Nunez will also continue their long-standing petroleum technology program.

We鈥檙e diversifying; we鈥檙e not replacing,鈥� LaRocca said. 鈥淲e have several refineries in our backyard and will continue to support that workforce pipeline. So, it鈥檚 not about taking away, but adding to the energy conversation.鈥�

All FUEL projects and investments will be industry-approved. By working closely with companies like Shell, ExxonMobil and Baker Hughes, and by strategically investing in energy education and research to advance its Scholarship First Agenda, 海角社区 continues to lift Louisiana.

As a statewide university, 海角社区鈥檚 flagship campus in Baton Rouge, 海角社区 Shreveport, 海角社区 Alexandria and 海角社区 Eunice all work together to advance both traditional and new energy across the state. While the four-year universities offer degrees in engineering and chemistry, 海角社区E, a two-year college, offers online programs that lead to industry-based certifications in solar, electrical, mechatronics and process technology, as well as in oil, natural gas, chemical and biofuel production operations. 海角社区E also has a hands-on, one-year , which the college is retooling for increased FUEL and industry alignment, while 海角社区A offers robust programs for pre-engineering.

鈥淎s we continue to build the footprint of FUEL and welcome new partners, the team will create unique funding opportunities to specific projects. Anyone can apply for these funds directed toward new capabilities, new expertise and new educational models that work with and for industry,鈥� said Andrew Maas, interim executive director of FUEL and associate vice president for research in 海角社区鈥檚 Office of Innovation & Ecosystem Development. 鈥淓volving industry challenges will be solved here, in Louisiana, as we work as a team with our partners across the state.鈥�

FUEL is currently looking for a .

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