55 by 25 2024 Report

2024 REPORT
LOOKING BEYOND 2025

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THE PURPOSE
In 2019, One Acadiana and regional partners launched the 55 by 25 initiative to address the economic
and moral imperative for increasing educational attainment. To ensure Acadiana is globally competitive,
the region requires a strong and well-educated workforce. No accomplishment will be more critical to
our future as a region.
For many years, the blessings of the oil & gas industry – where one could earn a good living without
a postsecondary degree – created an environment where higher education was desirable but not
essential. As our regional economy evolves, many more of our citizens will need postsecondary
degrees and high-value credentials to equip them for good jobs and good wages.
“Increasingly, the level of education of a community’s population is becoming
a decisive factor in economic competitiveness. Firms understand the need to
operate in economies that offer a sufficient supply of workers that meet or
exceed their demands. They also know that the lack of an educated
workforce can significantly affect business performance.”
— Garner Economics,
One Acadiana Target Industry Strategy
THE VISION
• An equitable education system that meets the region’s need for talent and offers all Acadiana
residents the chance for a better life through increased educational attainment
THE GOAL
• Increasing the proportion of working-age adults in Acadiana with postsecondary degrees,
certificates, or other high-value credentials to 55% by 2025.
55 by 25 partners are focused on supporting programs and pathways that provide job seekers with
the opportunities and resources they need to gain education and training to secure good jobs and
good wages.
This year, we’re looking beyond 2025 and exploring how to hone our focus and impact.
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THE REGIONAL DATA
STARTING FROM BEHIND AS A REGION
In terms of the percent of adults (age 25+) with an associate degree or higher:
• Louisiana ranks 48th as a state
• Within Louisiana, Acadiana ranks in the bottom half (5th out of 8) as a region
The good news is, Lumina Foundation estimates Louisiana ranks 4th in the nation for attainment of
postsecondary certificates and industry-recognized certifications. Evaluating postsecondary attainment
including both degrees and these short-term credentials, Louisiana ranks 44th as a state.
PERCENT OF ACADIANA ADULTS AGE 25+ WITH A POSTSECONDARY DEGREE
OR HIGH-VALUE CREDENTIAL*
*Includes associate degrees or higher, plus the Lumina Foundation’s statewide estimate of certificates and industry-recognized certifications
Source: U.S. Census, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Lumina Foundation, Stronger Nation report (2022); 1A analysis
KEY TAKEAWAYS
As of the latest Census data (2022), 28.6% of Acadiana adults have an associate degree or higher level
of education. That is a 0.5% pt increase from last year (2021), and a 3.6% pt increase since the launch of
55 by 25 (2017 data).
Adding in Lumina Foundation’s statewide estimate of 12% attainment of workforce-relevant certificates
and industry-recognized certifications, Acadiana’s rate of adults (age 25+) with a postsecondary degree
or high-value credential is 40.6%.
If the current trendline holds, our degree and credential attainment rate would reach 43.5% in 2025,
leaving us short of the 55% goal.
Drilling down into the data by parish, however, there is a notable disparity…
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THE DATA BY PARISH
While Acadiana’s postsecondary attainment rate – as a nine-parish region collectively – is 40.6%, drilling
down into the data by parish reveals a sharp disparity.
The good news is that Lafayette Parish is on track to reach the 55 by 25 goal. According to 2022 data,
41% of Lafayette Parish adults have an associate degree or higher level of education. Adding in Lumina’s
estimate of 12% attainment of certificates and certifications, Lafayette Parish’s attainment rate is 53% as of
2022 data.
On the flip side – while 41% of Lafayette Parish adults have an associate degree or higher level of education
– in Acadiana’s rural parishes, that rate ranges from a high of 26.2% in Vermilion Parish to a low of 18.7% in
St. Mary Parish.
EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT FOR ADULTS AGE 25+ IN ACADIANA
Percent of adults with an associate degree or higher in Acadiana parishes (2022)
Lafayette 41.0%
Vermilion
26.2%
Iberia
Jeff Davis
Acadia
St. Landry
St. Martin
Evangeline
St. Mary
22.7%
21.4%
21.2%
20.9%
19.8%
18.9%
18.7%
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45
On track for 55 by 25 Not on track for 55 by 25
Source: U.S Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 5-year estimates (2018-2022), population age 25 years and over.
THE RESPONSE
In response to this challenge, looking beyond 2025, One Acadiana has identified two primary strategies
to hone our focus and impact:
1. Establishing industry-aligned training & career pathways
2. Leveraging training & career navigation services
Want to explore more data?
Check out One Acadiana’s Data Dashboards at:
OneAcadiana.org/Dashboards
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ESTABLISHING INDUSTRY-ALIGNED
PATHWAYS
Looking beyond 2025, one of the programs One Acadiana will continue to hone and strengthen is our
industry roundtable series.
Convened as part of One Acadiana’s Workforce & Education Committee, the quarterly industry roundtable
series brings together employers who require similar skill sets in their workforces to discuss their shared
needs with education and training providers.
The roundtables are a chance for peers within an industry to discuss their workforce challenges and best
practices, including recruiting, hiring, training, retaining talent, and more.
RECENT 1A INDUSTRY ROUNDTABLES
Q2 2023
Q3 2023 Q4 2023 Q1 2024
SKILLED TRADES
RURAL
HEALTHCARE MANUFACTURING HEALTHCARE
THE OUTCOMES
Outcomes of past industry roundtables include the development of a new respiratory therapy
apprenticeship program and promotion of CGI and Apprenti’s software developer apprenticeship
program, both the first of their kind in the state.
THE APPROACH
One Acadiana’s industry roundtable series employs two related frameworks to guide our approach:
1. Next Gen Sector Partnerships
2. Talent Pipeline Management
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NEXT GEN SECTOR PARTNERSHIPS
Next Generation Sector Partnerships are
partnerships of businesses, from the same
industry and in a shared labor market
region, who work with education, workforce
development, economic development, and
community organizations to address the
workforce needs of the targeted industry.
Next Gen Sector Partnerships are industrydriven.
Business leaders come together
to define a shared agenda based on the
priorities that most impact the vitality and
competitiveness of their industry.
TALENT PIPELINE MANAGEMENT (TPM)
Led by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, Talent Pipeline Management (TPM) is designed to
be a scalable, employer-led solution to close the skills gap in ways that generate shared value and a
return on investment for employers, learners, education & training providers, and the communities in
which they reside.
This systemic approach unlocks employer leadership and engagement in a novel way by speaking the
language of – and leveraging the practices of – supply chain management.
STRATEGY 1
Organize for Employer Leadership and Collaboration
STRATEGY 2
Project Critical Job Demand
STRATEGY 3
Align and Communicate Job Requirements
STRATEGY 4
Analyze Talent Supply
STRATEGY 5
Build Talent Supply Chains
STRATEGY 6
Engage in Continuous Improvement
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LEVERAGING NAVIGATION SERVICES
In addition to establishing industry-aligned training & career pathways, One Acadiana is working to
leverage training & career navigation services to help job seekers access these pathways.
One of the leading organizations providing these navigation services for the region is Acadiana Workforce
Solutions.
Another great program that helps individuals navigate training and career opportunities with targeted
guidance and support is SLCC’s Education Opportunity Centers, funded by a federal TRiO grant.
SLCC’S TRiO EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY CENTERS
Do you have a desire to earn your high school equivalency
(HiSET) and train for an exciting career at the same time?
Do you want to begin or return to college but don’t know
where to start? Do you have questions about how to pay for
college? SLCC’s TRiO Educational Opportunity Centers have
the answers to these questions and more.
Residents of Vermilion, Iberia, St. Martin, and St. Mary
parishes now have options to fulfill their educational goals
and prepare for high-wage, high-demand jobs in the region.
EOC services will help with:
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Registering for HiSET classes
Completing a college application for admissions
Applying for financial aid and scholarships
Exploring the different types of career offerings
Assessing personal interests and abilities that align with careers
Identifying degree and certificate options
Assisting with college entrance examination preparation
Navigating the college experience using a variety of support services
Becoming a better steward of personal finances
LEARN MORE: SOLACC.edu/College-For-You
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One Acadiana is leveraging SLCC’s TRiO Educational Opportunity Centers through two new programs
guided by the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE) Foundation.
ACCE FOUNDATION – ECONOMIC MOBILITY FOR RURAL WORKERS COHORT
1A’s Manager of Workforce Initiatives, Dr. Maggi
Bienvenu, was recently selected to participate in the
ACCE Foundation’s Economic Mobility for Rural Workers
Cohort.
Through this program, Maggi is working with employers
in Vermilion, Iberia, St. Martin, and St. Mary parishes
– such as Miller Management’s McDonald’s stores in
Iberia Parish – to connect lower-wage worker with the
navigation services provided by SLCC’s TRiO Educational
Opportunity Centers.
The goal is to support connections between rural
learners, postsecondary education providers, and
employers to offer rural learners clear pathways to
credentials and higher wages.
ACCE FOUNDATION – EQUITABLE CREDENTIAL ATTAINMENT COHORT
To build upon plans initiated through
the Economic Mobility for Rural
Workers (EMRW) Cohort, the ACCE
Foundation also invited Maggi
to participate in a new Equitable
Credential Attainment Cohort.
This program was established
to help strengthen partnerships
between chambers of commerce,
community colleges, and community
organizations to increase the number
of diverse adult and underserved
learners who earn an industryrecognized
credential or degree.
Similar to the EMRW Cohort, Maggi will connect rural learners to the services of SLCC’s TRiO
Educational Opportunity Centers. More specifically, 1A’s Equitable Credential Attainment project targets
justice-involved individuals, in partnership with Beacon Community Connections.
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LOOKING BEYOND 2025
According to 2022 data, 41% of Lafayette Parish adults have an associate degree or higher level of
education. On the flip side, the degree attainment rate in Acadiana’s rural parishes ranges from a high of
26.2% in Vermilion Parish to a low of 18.7% in St. Mary Parish.
That means – when adding in Lumina’s estimate of certificate and certification attainment (12%) – Lafayette
Parish is on track to reach the 55 by 25 goal, but Acadiana’s rural parishes are not.
In response to this challenge, looking beyond 2025, One Acadiana has identified two primary strategies to
hone our focus and impact:
1. Establishing industry-aligned training & career pathways
2. Leveraging training & career navigation services
U.S. EDA RECOMPETE PILOT PROGRAM
To boost resources for these strategies, One Acadiana is pursuing grant funding through the U.S. EDA’s
Distressed Area Recompete Pilot Program, as part of the Gulf Coast Chambers Network (GCCN). In
December, the EDA named GCCN a Recompete Finalist.
The Recompete Program will invest in economically distressed communities to create and connect
people to good jobs. The program aims to create renewed economic opportunity in communities where
prime-age (25-54 years) employment significantly trails the national average.
GCCN will leverage the influence of six Gulf Coast chambers of commerce in Alabama, Mississippi,
and Louisiana to address the prime-age employment gap through (1) industry-aligned job training,
(2) targeted community outreach and navigation services, and (3) wrap-around services including
transportation and childcare.
EDA expects to announce the Recompete Phase 2 Winners by the end of summer 2024.
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CALL TO ACTION
Want to support the mission of 55 by 25? We’re seeking donors for the 1A Scholarship campaign!
1A SCHOLARSHIP CAMPAIGN
While many high school graduates receive
funding and assistance to enter their freshman
year at a higher ed institution, fewer scholarship
opportunities exist for students continuing their
education. To address this, the 1A Scholarship
program was established for returning students at
LSU Eunice, SLCC, Unitech Training Academy,
and UL Lafayette.
We are seeking business and community leaders
who will partner with us as donors to help us
reach our scholarship fund goal of $15,000.
Donors will recieve recognition:
• Company logo on the scholarship
application webpage
• Company featured across 1A’s social
media channels
To learn more and donate, visit:
OneAcadiana.org/Scholarships
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Donate to the 1A Scholarship campaign:
OneAcadiana.org/Scholarships