Business leaders urge Louisiana graduates to stay home

Louisiana Economic Development Secretary Susan Bourgeois recently wrote an op-ed entitled, “Graduates, Louisiana has a place for you” urging professionals of all stripes to make Louisiana their home. In the piece, she emphasizes that companies are investing in the state and the opportunities young people are looking for might already be right here at home.

“There have been 90 projects announced with 20,000 direct jobs with good salaries and I thought it was important to tell recent graduates, their parents, and grandparents: I really want to encourage them to take a look at Louisiana,” Bourgeois noted.

She stresses that the paths to meaningful employment can be different for each person and young people shouldn’t shy away from alternatives to the classic four-year degree they may have been told they needed in the past.

“I think we have to be very open in the messaging that a four-year degree is right for plenty of folks, but it’s not the only path. Our K-12 system is making remarkable strides in making sure that high schoolers get access to training and certifications. Our two-year institutions have gone so far in developing meaningful and specific training for some of the opportunities we’ve just announced in the last two years. The opportunities are there, and I would encourage everyone to have open minds as they look,” Bourgeois added.