Companies to Generate Jobs in Louisiana

Various companies in agribusiness and advance manufacturing expressed their plans to generate additional jobs for the state of Louisiana over the coming years. ConAgra Foods announced its plan to expand its sweet potato operations within two years that will result in the hiring of more manufacturing plant workers in Delhi. This year, DG Foods is committed to open a chicken processing plant in the city of Bastrop that will bring over 300 new jobs and Gardner Denver manufacturing plant also promised more job hiring in Monroe. Next Autoworks, an American car company, said that it will also open an auto plant in Ouachita Parish that will create over 1,400 jobs.

The Louisiana Department of Economic Assessment said that jobs will flourish in the agribusiness and advanced manufacturing industries, along with the healthcare sector, in the coming years. The department explained that the agribusiness and advanced manufacturing, information technology, energy and entertainment are the top sectors included in the 11 key industries for significant targeted job growth. The state will also boost job growth in other industries such as specialty health care, water management, digital media, clean technology, energy and next generation automotive manufacturing.

Jeff Lynn, director of Fast Start, Louisiana’s top workforce training program, said that interested applicants can start building their skills in those fields in Louisiana Delta Community College, the regional work force training hub of the state. He encouraged those applicants to enroll at Delta’s Certified Manufacturing Specialist program to be increase the chance of being hired. “It offers a broad scope of manufacturing skill. That’s the entry point for anyone interested in a career in manufacturing. After that they can acquire more advanced manufacturing skills at Delta. But that’s the baseline, and they should get it ASAP to be ready for the next project.” Lynn added that the CMS certification provides a competitive advantage to those who obtain it. “That will immediately get you an interview when there’s an expansion at ConAgra or Gardner Denver or Next Autoworks takes off. You’ll likely need more advanced training after that, but it gives you the baseline for you or the employer to build upon.”