North Louisiana Economic Partnership (NLEP) recently announced the winners of its TOP Awards during the NLEP 2020 Annual Meeting at Sam’s Town Hotel & Casino. The awards honor projects or persons that have made a tremendous impact in economic development throughout North Louisiana during the previous year.
Bossier Parish Community College, along with two sister colleges in the Louisiana Community and Technical College System—Louisiana Delta Community College (LDCC) in Monroe and Northwest Louisiana Technical Community College (NLTCC) in Minden — won the 2019 Top of Mind Award. The Top of Mind Award recognizes programs and partnerships that ensure a strong pipeline of talent to support current and future employers.
BPCC works closely with LDCC and NLTCC to ensure that talent development is enhanced by leveraging the workforce solutions of the entire region. This consortium of community colleges along the I-20 corridor demonstrates a commitment to developing a skilled workforce to meet the training needs of northwest Louisiana.
“Working with Dennis Epps [Chancellor of Delta CC] and Earl Meador [Chancellor of NLTCC] is easy because we share an understanding that economic and workforce development is most effectively achieved on a regional level,” BPCC Chancellor Dr. Rick Bateman, Jr., said. “Our respective teams work together to ensure a response to talent development needs in North Louisiana that is collaborative, flexible, and responsive.”
Bossier Parish Community College is proud to be a part of this prestigious economic development award. BPCC works hand-in-hand with NLEP to host prospective companies and site selectors on campus to demonstrate the ability BPCC has to be responsive to employer needs in Louisiana. The facilities available to prospective companies and current employer partners are state-of-the-art, but the will of the faculty and staff to be industry-responsive is what sets the institution apart.
Bateman added, “On behalf of the BPCC faculty and staff, I am proud to accept this award along with our LCTCS colleagues. Meeting employer needs and training the 21st Century workforce is vital to our mission at BPCC.”
The LCTCS colleges on the I-20 corridor work together on specific initiatives including NLEP’s Tech By 20. The North Louisiana Technology Ecosystem has exploded, creating nearly 4,000 new tech jobs in the last several years. Tech By 20, a technology-focused professional group created and managed by North Louisiana Economic Partnership (NLEP), is a membership-based association of businesses, non-profits and educational institutions with a mission to support the development of a vibrant technology ecosystem in North Louisiana.
“At BPCC, we are proud of our many programs and contributions to the northwest Louisiana workforce. We are especially proud to be a leader in cybersecurity education and excited to work with NLEP’s Tech By 20 organization playing in integral role in growing the cyber workforce for north Louisiana,” Bateman said.
Photo by Amanda Crane, BPCC Public Relations
About North Louisiana Economic Partnership
North Louisiana Economic Partnership, an Accredited Economic Development Organization, provides professional economic development services to the 14 parish region of North Louisiana, including lead generation and prospect management. The organization also represents the interests of North Louisiana with a unified voice and as a single point of contact. It acts as a catalyst, a convener, and a connector in the region to ensure that North Louisiana’s economic development potential is realized. Its vision is for North Louisiana to be a thriving region-a destination for high quality talent, innovative companies, and global investment.