BATON ROUGE, La. — Louisiana Works today announced the launch of a new statewide Business Workforce Solutions initiative, a coordinated pilot designed to improve how Louisiana employers access workforce support and to deliver clearer, more consistent solutions aligned with regional and statewide economic priorities.
This coordinated effort brings together Louisiana Works, Leaders for Better Louisiana, Louisiana Economic Development, the Louisiana Community and Technical College System, and regional economic development organizations to deliver a clearer, more streamlined approach to workforce engagement. Informed by employer feedback from the Driving Louisiana Opportunity Tour and advanced through Louisiana Lightning Speed, the Business Workforce Solutions initiative directly connects employer needs with talent development aligned to regional and statewide economic priorities.
What Employers Can Expect
As the initiative rolls out, regional economic development organizations will serve as the primary point of contact for employers seeking comprehensive workforce support. Through structured, business-led conversations, these partners will work with companies to:
- Identify workforce challenges, talent constraints, and hiring needs
- Connect employers to relevant training, education, and workforce resources
- Coordinate workforce, education, and economic development partners to reduce duplication and improve responsiveness
Employers can begin engaging with the new initiative by contacting their regional economic development organization to discuss workforce needs and next steps.
“This initiative is about fundamentally changing how employers experience the workforce system,” said Susie Schowen, Secretary of Louisiana Works. “We are moving away from a fragmented, program-driven approach and toward a coordinated model that helps businesses identify workforce challenges and quickly connect to solutions that support growth and stability.”
A Coordinated, Statewide Approach
The Business Workforce Solutions initiative builds on Governor Landry’s efforts to align state government and its partners around shared priorities, while advancing Louisiana Works’ collaboration with partners to ensure employer needs are directly connected to talent development and training capacity statewide. Informed by direct employer feedback gathered through the Driving Louisiana Opportunity Tour and supported by the coordination advanced under Louisiana Lightning Speed, the initiative delivers a more coordinated, employer-focused workforce system with a clearer point of entry and practical solutions tied to regional and statewide economic priorities.
Better Louisiana, through its affiliated nonprofit Committee for a Secure Louisiana, will serve as the statewide coordinating partner, helping ensure consistency across regions, supporting shared tools and processes, and aggregating employer feedback to inform statewide workforce strategy and future investments.
“This partnership reflects a shared commitment to serving employers better through a coordinated statewide workforce system,” said Adam Knapp, CEO of Better Louisiana. “By connecting the trusted, on-the-ground work of regional economic development organizations with statewide coordination, Louisiana is building a stronger, more strategic approach to workforce solutions.”
Statewide Regional Partnership
The initiative is being implemented in partnership with the following eight regional economic development organizations, representing every region of the state:
- COLAB
- Greater Baton Rouge Economic Partnership
- Greater New Orleans, Inc.
- Grow NELA
- Louisiana Central
- North Louisiana Economic Partnership
- One Acadiana
- Southwest Louisiana Economic Development Alliance
Together, these regional partners will work alongside Louisiana Works and Better Louisiana to deliver consistent, high-quality workforce engagement for employers statewide, while remaining responsive to regional economic conditions and industry needs.
“This initiative is a major win for Northeast Louisiana employers and job seekers,”said Rob Cleveland, President & CEO of Grow NELA. “By creating a clearer, more coordinated entry point into the workforce system, we can help businesses solve talent challenges faster, while connecting more people to training and career opportunities that lead to real economic mobility. Grow NELA is proud to partner with Better Louisiana, Louisiana Works, and Louisiana Economic Development, to deliver consistent, business-focused workforce solutions that support growth across our region and strengthen Louisiana’s competitiveness statewide.”
The initiative supports Louisiana Works’ broader strategy to modernize business workforce services, reduce fragmentation, and strengthen collaboration across workforce, education, and economic development partners, while informing future policy, program design, and investment decisions.
About the Louisiana Business Workforce Solutions Initiative
The Business Workforce Solutions initiative is a statewide, employer-focused partnership led by Louisiana Works in collaboration with Better Louisiana, Louisiana Economic Development, the Louisiana Community and Technical College System, and regional economic development organizations. The initiative is designed to provide employers with a clearer point of entry into Louisiana’s workforce system and more coordinated access to workforce, education, and training solutions aligned with regional and statewide economic priorities.