New Orleans Career Center sees record enrollment, expands offerings to meet community demand
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.”
