NEW ORLEANS CAREER CENTER RECEIVES SUPER BOWL LIX PHOTO SET
New Orleans Career Center (NOCC) received a delightful surprise post-Super Bowl LIX: a vibrant fan photo opp display, inspired by the city’s iconic colorful porches, was donated to its Treme campus. Originally located in Jackson Square, this set now enhances NOCC’s Collaborative Courtyard, providing trainees in building trades and other fields with authentic working conditions. As a key player in workforce development, NOCC was actively involved in pre-Super Bowl events, including receiving a grant from the Impact 59 Powered by Entergy initiative, participating in the “Taste of the NFL,” and packing food at Second Harvest. Additionally, NOCC Building Trades trainees and staff had the unique opportunity to interact with NFL players and sports media at the Super Bowl Breakfast.
New Orleans, LA, Feb. 13, 2025 – As crews pack up in the wake of Super Bowl LIX, New Orleans Career Center (NOCC), the city’s flagship career and technical education (CTE) provider, received a surprise donation to its Treme campus: one of the Super Bowl LIX décor elements that popped up throughout the city prior to Sunday’s game. The fan photo opp display, modeled on New Orleans’ colorful porches, had been in Jackson Square as a complement to the stunning visuals projected onto St. Louis Cathedral.
The set now lives in NOCC's Collaborative Courtyard, where trainees in the building trades and other disciplines come together to train in true-to-life working conditions.
NOCC, which sits at the epicenter of workforce development in New Orleans, was recognized by and involved in numerous pre-Super Bowl initiatives. NOCC received a grant from the Impact 59 Powered by Entergy initiative. Trainees from NOCC’s Culinary Arts & Hospitality Management program cooked and served participants during the “Taste of the NFL.” At Second Harvest, NOCC staffers packed unopened food and drinks recovered from Super Bowl events. And NOCC Building Trades trainees and staff mixed and mingled with NFL players, coaches, owners, and sports media at the Super Bowl Breakfast.
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About NOCC
New Orleans Career Center is the city’s flagship career and technical education provider for both high school students and adults. NOCC transforms lives through accessible high-quality, industry-informed career prep and technical education, equipping trainees for local mid-skill jobs offering living wages, benefits, and pathways to career advancement and economic stability. NOCC offers training in healthcare, building trades, digital media, engineering/manufacturing, and culinary arts. Since 2018, at NOCC more than 2,000 New Orleanians have gained the technical skills, workplace knowledge, and professional networks they need to succeed.For more information, visit our online Newsroom or follow us onFacebookorInstagram.
NOLA.com: LCTCS builds the future of Louisiana healthcare by transforming workforce training
Delgado collaborates with Ochsner Health System and other healthcare providers to ensure that graduates are job-ready immediately following graduation. Delgado's partnership with Ochsner led to a $20 million investment. This included $10 million towards the Ochsner Center for Nursing and Allied Health, featuring a fully equipped simulated hospital, and $10 million in scholarships to upskill Ochsner’s incumbent workforce.Delgado also recently added an LPN Dual Enrollment program in partnership with the New Orleans Career Center, creating one of the first such offerings in Louisiana and providing an opportunity to prepare Louisiana youth for success in nursing careers.
Delgado collaborates with Ochsner Health System and other healthcare providers to ensure that graduates are job-ready immediately following graduation. Delgado's partnership with Ochsner led to a $20 million investment. This included $10 million towards the Ochsner Center for Nursing and Allied Health, featuring a fully equipped simulated hospital, and $10 million in scholarships to upskill Ochsner’s incumbent workforce.Delgado also recently added an LPN Dual Enrollment program in partnership with the New Orleans Career Center, creating one of the first such offerings in Louisiana and providing an opportunity to prepare Louisiana youth for success in nursing careers.
NEW ORLEANS CAREER CENTER RECEIVES IMPACT 59 POWERED BY ENTERGY GRANT IN ADVANCE OF SUPERBOWL LIX
NOCC Founding CEO Claire Jecklin joined other grant recipients during a panel discussion at the Impact59 Powered by Entergy press conference.
NEW ORLEANS (December 13, 2024) – New Orleans Career Center (NOCC) was among the local organizations granted funding today by the Impact59 Powered by Entergy initiative in advance of Superbowl LIX. The New Orleans Super Bowl LIX Host Committee, NFL Foundation, Entergy, the New Orleans Saints, Ochsner Health, Venture Global, United Way of Southeast Louisiana, and the NOLA Coalition announced the distribution of more than $3.5 million in grants to 65 nonprofit organizations in the Greater New Orleans region 59 days before Super Bowl LIX. NOCC plans to use the funding to expand career preparation options and support for trainees over age 18.
“Super Bowl LIX is about more than just a game,” said Gayle Benson, owner of the New Orleans Saints and long-time philanthropist. “It’s about showing up for our city, supporting our neighbors, and ensuring that we leave a positive, lasting legacy in the community. This program is part of what we do – to create meaningful change and provide lasting resources for the people who call New Orleans home.”
Impact 59 Powered by Entergy, the official Super Bowl LIX Legacy Grant Program, is designed to provide lasting support for local organizations working in key areas such as economic development, education, workforce training, youth development, health and wellness, and equity and inclusion. NOCC and nine other organizations received grants for their workforce training efforts.
A grant selection committee carefully reviewed eligibility and compliance and made award determinations based on the need, merit, and potential impact of each project. These organizations are receiving critical support for their efforts to improve lives in 10 Greater New Orleans parishes.
“This grant acknowledges the value of the high-quality training and career preparation all trainees at the Career Center access,” said Jake Gleghorn, NOCC Chief Strategy Officer. “We’re grateful for the investment in what we do and the benefits this kind of training brings to our trainees, our community, and to local employers.”
The announcement of the 65 grant recipients reinforces the New Orleans Super Bowl Host Committee’s motto: “It’s what we do.” Impact 59 Powered by Entergy ensures these local organizations receive much-needed funding and resources, furthering their critical work and fostering long-term change in the community.
“At the end of the day, Super Bowl LIX is much more than just a game,” said Jay Cicero, President and CEO of the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation and the Super Bowl LIX Host Committee. “We’re only 59 days away from the opportunity to showcase our city, support our nonprofit community, boost Louisiana’s economy, and celebrate our rich culture. We are proud to contribute to this incredible legacy that extends beyond the game and has a positive impact on the people of New Orleans.”
Impact 59 is just one of several programs the Host Committee and NFL bring to New Orleans ahead of the big game. NFL Source, a diverse supplier program, launched earlier this year and engaged more than 200 underrepresented businesses in the greater New Orleans Area. Earlier this month, NFL Green and the Host Committee kicked off two sustainability projects in the city, with more to come as we get closer to Feb. 9, 2025.
The 65 grant recipients will be recognized at an event during Super Bowl Week in New Orleans. Super Bowl LIX will take place on Sunday, Feb. 9, 2025, at Caesars Superdome.
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About the New Orleans Super Bowl LIX Host Committee
The New Orleans Super Bowl LIX Host Committee, led by the New Orleans Saints and the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation, is responsible for planning, executing, and hosting the City’s record-tying 11th NFL Championship game on February 9, 2025. The Host Committee works in partnership with the National Football League to deliver a successful Super Bowl LIX while driving lasting social and economic impact in the Greater New Orleans area. Learn more about the New Orleans Super LIX Host Committee at nolasuperbowl.com.
About the NFL Foundation
The National Football League (NFL) Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of those touched by the game of football – from players at all levels to communities across the country. The NFL Foundation and its members, the 32 NFL clubs, support the health, safety and wellness of athletes, youth football, and the communities that support our game. Celebrating 50 years, the NFL Foundation has become one of the leading philanthropic entities in America, contributing to NFL team communities, national and international disaster relief efforts, and societal issues. The league is utilizing this anniversary to amplify the impact of NFL Philanthropy and the progress made by our nonprofit entities. For more information on the NFL Foundation, visit NFLFoundation.org.
About The Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation
Organized in August 1988, the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation (Sports Foundation) is a non-profit 501(c) (4) organization whose mission is to attract and manage sporting events that have a positive economic impact on Louisiana and the Greater New Orleans area. Throughout its 36-year history, the Sports Foundation has hosted and been awarded hundreds of events and turned a $50 million public investment into more than $3.4 billion in economic impact for the State of Louisiana and the Greater New Orleans area.
New Orleans center helps high schoolers land jobs — and launch careers
WWNO covers New Orleans Career Center – helps high schoolers land jobs — and launch careers.
New Orleans Career Center prepares high schoolers and adults for success in the workforce
Tuition-free programs include culinary arts and hospitality management, patient care technician, licensed practical nursing, digital media, building trades and pharmacy tech.
Strengthen Health Care From Classroom to Clinic
Health science professionals play a critical role in delivering efficient, high-quality patient care. Still, too many health care facilities are struggling to fill the demand for nurses and allied health team members. Nearly one-third (31%) of employers have said it’s difficult to find qualified medical assistants, and the numbers paint a similar picture in other roles, like patient care, electrocardiography, and billing and coding (National Healthcareer Association, 2024). We need to do more to meet our country’s health care workforce demands.
New Orleans Career Center (NOCC), where I serve as director of work-based learning, is taking a novel approach to help meet this need and improve care outcomes for our community. We’ve built a sustainable and empowering program that connects high school students and adults with allied health careers. Through our partnership with the National Healthcareer Association (NHA), which provides educational materials and accredited, industry-recognized certification exams, more than 160 NOCC health care trainees certified as medical assistants and patient care technicians in 2023 alone.
Audacy: NOCC hopes to be "the local hub" for NOLA job seekers
One New Orleans job training center is hoping to be a go-to center for high quality technical education in the area. About half of New Orleans' jobs are considered "mid-skill," which means they require more than a high school degree, but not necessarily a bachelor's degree. Since 2018, the New Orleans Career Center has been helping area residents fill that need with education toward a variety of careers.
Axios: How a New Orleans nonprofit trains hundreds of high school students a year for new jobs
When Te'mon Crawford saw the New Orleans Career Center move into the fully renovated Tremé building that once housed McDonogh 35 Senior High School, he thought about his own new start and what he could do with his future.
An Evening with Alon Shaya to Support the New Orleans Career Center
NEW ORLEANS (press release) – Chef Alon Shaya and the Shaya Barnett Foundation will host the second benefit dinner for the New Orleans Career Center (NOCC), the city’s hub for career and technical education (CTE). This cause is especially near and dear to Chef Alon whose own CTE teacher, Donna Barnett, inspired and encouraged him to discover his passion for cooking and helped him obtain his first kitchen job. Career and technical education forever changed his life and ultimately inspired the creation of the Shaya Barnett Foundation and their support for NOCC.
BIZ New Orleans: Department Of Labor Awards $4 Million To Create Nearly 500 Apprenticeships In New Orleans
Claire Jecklin, Chief Executive Officer & Founder of the New Orleans Career Center (NOCC) shared, “Being part of the NOLA LEADS collaboration will enable us to expand our pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship pathways. This means we can connect more trainees to more paid Registered Apprenticeships in high-demand careers such as Carpentry, Electrical, HVAC, Welding, Pharmacy Technician, Licensed Practical Nurse, and Line Cook and support their ongoing success. It will also enable us to strengthen our employer partnerships and grow the number of New Orleanians who make up a highly trained, mid-skill local workforce.”
CityBusiness: New Orleans Career Center Sees Record Enrollment, Expands Offerings To Meet Community Demand
To support the highest-ever demand for its programs, the city’s flagship career center and technical education (CTE) provider expanded its offerings and added new staff this summer. Over the last two weeks, New Orleans Career Center (NOCC) welcomed a record number of trainees – more than 600 – into its five industry sectors. NOCC has hired 14 new staff members, doubling in size in the last two years. This expansion is in response to demand from local industry for qualified local talent and demand for more CTE opportunities from families, schools, and community-based organizations.
New Orleans Career Center sees record enrollment, expands offerings to meet community demand
To support the highest-ever demand for its programs, the city’s flagship career and technical education (CTE) provider expanded its offerings and added new staff this summer. Over the last two weeks, New Orleans Career Center (NOCC) welcomed a record number of trainees – more than 600 – into its five industry sectors. NOCC has hired 14 new staff members, doubling in size in the last two years. This expansion is in response to demand from local industry for qualified local talent and demand for more CTE opportunities from families, schools, and community-based organizations.
New Orleans, LA, August 19, 2024 – To support the highest-ever demand for its programs, the city’s flagship career and technical education (CTE) provider expanded its offerings and added new staff this summer. Over the last two weeks, New Orleans Career Center (NOCC) welcomed a record number of trainees – more than 600 – into its five industry sectors. NOCC has hired 14 new staff members, doubling in size in the last two years. This expansion is in response to demand from local industry for qualified local talent and demand for more CTE opportunities from families, schools, and community-based organizations.
“It’s very encouraging to see the organization and the building moving toward the kind of capacity that will best serve the community,” said Carlin Jacobs, NOCC Chief Programs Officer. “From the very beginning, we knew that once our trainees were out in the world, the value of accessible, high-quality CTE would become evident to parents and the business community. We couldn’t be more happy to be able to extend these opportunities to more New Orleanians.”
NOCC’s growth this summer includes
Five new training options for those over 18: Medical Assisting, Facilities Maintenance, Electrical, Welding, Pharmacy Technician
86 trainees over 18 enrolled
A new specialized second year of Building Trades training for high school students - trainees can choose to focus on Carpentry, Electrical, or Welding
14 new hires (see names below), including instructors, success coaches, and operations personnel (total staff is now 42 people, double in size from 2022)
520 high school trainees enrolled from 22 New Orleans schools
The NOCC team now includes
Shanitra Charles, Instructor, Pre-Nursing
Myles Ford - Instructor, Pharmacy Technician
Diana Kennedy - Instructor, Pre-Nursing
Wynn Martin - Success Coach
Elantonio McKarry - Instructor, Building Trades
Bria Hays-Mackey - Bookkeeper
MacKenzie Rosenberg - Success Coach
Maria Schneider - Program Coordinator
Cedric Singleton - Instructor, Building Trades
Taralyn Stephens - Instructor, Culinary
Lee Stevenson - Instructor, Building Trades
Aaron Washington - Trainee Support Coordinator
Anastasia Williams-Smith - Program Coordinator
Terrance Payne has been named Director of Building Trades Training. Terrance was one of the organization’s inaugural trainers in the Building Trades program and now leads a team of multi-disciplinary instructors to build out this high-demand career pathway.
NOCC leaders expect the growth to continue in a controlled manner over the next few years.
“We know there are more New Orleanians whose lives could be changed by what NOCC offers,” Jacobs continued. “At full capacity, more than 1,000 locals a year will experience high-quality CTE training programs and be equipped with the technical skills, the workplace knowledge, and the professional networks to succeed in careers they choose.”
The Family Empowerment Podcast, Powered by Clover Nola: Where Are The Workers Study
Welcome to the Family Empowerment Podcast, Powered by Clover Nola! 🎙️🌟 In this episode, our host Dr. Arnel Cosey sits down with Claire Jecklin, CEO of the New Orleans Career Center, to discuss workforce development in our community. 👩🏫✨ Claire shares insights into how the Career Center provides technical training for high school youth and adults, focusing on those aged 18 to 24 and the unemployed or underemployed. 🎓🔧 We delve into our collaborative efforts on the "Where Are the Workers" study, which examines local talent, work opportunities, wages, barriers, and training needs in New Orleans. 📊📈 Key findings highlight the high interest in healthcare jobs and the necessity for better job training programs and wraparound services like transportation and childcare. 🏥🚌 Claire emphasizes the importance of coordinated efforts among community organizations to support workforce development and improve economic mobility. 🤝💼 Tune in to learn more about how we can all contribute to creating better opportunities and support systems for our workforce. 🌟💪 Don't forget to subscribe and follow us on social media for more empowering content! 📲💬 For more information about Clover Nola, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter @CloverNewOrleans. To learn more about the New Orleans Career Center, visit their website at NOCC.org or find them on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. 🌐📱
New Orleans Career Center’s Dean of Students celebrated in this year’s 40 under 40 class!
New Orleans Career Center’s Dean of Students Jeremy Oatis featured in Gambit’s 40 Under 40
Walt Disney World hosts up-and-coming New Orleans chefs
Attractions Magazine takes you behind the scenes of Walt Disney World, where up-and-coming female chefs spend three days learning about Disney culinary and catering alongside four trainees from the New Orleans Career Center.
FOUR NEW ORLEANS CAREER CENTER GRADS GIVEN MAGICAL TRIP TO WALT DISNEY WORLD
Four recent New Orleans Career Center culinary grads are heading to Walt Disney World for an all-expenses-paid culinary adventure. Aniya Bailey-Kelly, Madison Black, Brianna Blunt, and Heavan Hall are among 22 aspiring chefs selected for the "Culinary Dreams Come True" experience. The four-day trip includes behind-the-scenes tours, fine dining experiences, and theme park visits. Inspired by "Tiana's Bayou Adventure," the program celebrates New Orleans' culinary legacy. NOCC Chief Programs Officer Carlin Jacobs praised the students' passion and dedication. Bailey-Kelly, eager to expand her skills, will soon start an apprenticeship at Zea. The NOCC offers free career and technical education to prepare students for in-demand industries.
Aniya Bailey-Kelly ’24, Madison Black ’23, Brianna Blunt ’24 and Heavan Hall ’24 will meet Disney’s culinary experts and tour kitchens at the world-renowned destination
NEW ORLEANS, LA., July 23, 2024 – Four recent grads of New Orleans Career Center’s (NOCC) Culinary Arts & Hospitality Management training are headed to Walt Disney World on an all expenses paid trip behind the scenes at Disney World’s culinary offerings. Aniya Bailey-Kelly, Madison Black, Brianna Blunt, and Heavan Hall departed New Orleans today along with 18 other young aspiring female chefs. The “Culinary Dreams Come True” excursion results from a collaboration between New Orleans & Company, Southwest Airlines, Visit Orlando, and Walt Disney World Resorts. In addition to insider experiences at some of Orlando’s top fine-dining restaurants, the four-day trip includes complimentary flights, accommodations, and theme park tickets.
The trip was inspired by the recent opening of “Tiana’s Bayou Adventure,” the newest attraction at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom. The late Chef Leah Chase inspired the Disney film “The Princess and the Frog,” on which the attraction is based.
“Our goal at the New Orleans Career Center is for trainees to gain the skills, the knowledge, and the networks to succeed in their chosen careers. Having four of our trainees on this Disney adventure exactly dovetails into that goal. Each of them has demonstrated the kind of culinary passion, personal connection, and desire to achieve that Chef Leah Chase herself always exemplified. We’re very proud and truly elated for these young women,” said Carlin Jacobs, Chief Programs Officer at NOCC.
For Bailey-Kelly, who earned three industry-based certifications and two career and technical certificates from Nunez Community College while at NOCC, the trip offers the chance to spread her culinary wings. “I expect to gain a new outlook on things I can do in the kitchen,” she said of the trip. “I always look for ways I can expand what I can do and how I approach my culinary career.”
All four NOCC grads are already taking the next steps to further their culinary careers. Bailey-Kelly and Hall start Louisiana Restaurant Association Apprenticeships at Zea and Gianna, respectively, shortly after their return from Orlando. Blunt currently works at Cochon and Black at the French Quarter location of breakfast favorite Wakin’ Bakin’.
New Orleans Career Center offers career and technical education in five high-demand industry sectors: healthcare, building trades, digital media/IT, engineering, and culinary arts/hospitality management. Both high school students and adults attend at no cost and earn industry-based credentials tied to careers with opportunities for further learning and financial stability.
TIANA'S BAYOU ADVENTURE: Aspiring New Orleans chefs head to Walt Disney World to learn from Disney Culinary Team
Culinary and hospitality trainees got a magical surprise! In a visit to the historic Dookey Chase Restaurant trainees learned about an exclusive trip to Walt Disney World to experience Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.
NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — 24 young, aspiring chefs from New Orleans are heading to Walt Disney World to learn from the Disney Culinary Team. They’re going on this educational vacation because of the city’s connection with the brand-new ride, “Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.”
“Thanks to Southwest Airlines, Visit Orlando and New Orleans & Company, as well as Walt Disney World, we are surprising these young women with a trip of a lifetime. To us, they are the future culinary greats of New Orleans,” said Chief Marketing Officer of New Orleans & Company Mark Romig.
Speaking of greats, the late and great “Queen of Creole Cuisine,” Leah Chase, is the inspiration for both Princess Tiana and Disney World’s new ride.
One of Leah’s daughters, Stella Chase, is instrumental in keeping her mom’s legacy alive.
“I’m so honored that these young ladies have decided to go into the career of culinary service to New Orleans. That would make my mom so happy, because when she started, very few women were in the industry,” Stella said.
“I just wanted to come back with different experiences and outlooks of things to do in the kitchen,” said Anaiya Bailey-Kelly, an aspiring chef.
“I think it is pushing me out of my comfort zone, and I think it’s good for me,” said another aspiring chef, Zoey Kenney.