The Jefferson Parish Economic Development Commission recently launched Jefferson EDGE 2030. It’s their newly revamped version of an economic plan that has actually been in place since the year 2000. Jerry Bologna, President and CEO of JEDCO, says it’s a living document so to speak. “Edge 2030 is the next iteration of our long-term economic development plan,” Bologna notes. He adds that post-Katrina, much of the focus was on redevelopment, schools, levee protection, insurance issues, and beautification in the area as the storm changed everything in the parish.
There has been incremental progress since the early adoption of the plan 25 years ago. Bologna points to the revamping of Fat City in Metairie as a particular point of emphasis that came to fruition. He also notes that Jefferson Parish is an energy parish within an energy state and there is an “all hands on deck” strategy moving forward. “We have research and development as well as manufacturing taking place around wind energy at the Avondale Global Gateway. We have manufacturing around electric vehicles and the components that go into electric vehicles taking place, and then there’s our legacy. The oil and gas industry,” Bologna went on to explain
Ultimately, economic diversity in the parish is what Bologna wants to emphasize. While four year college degrees were traditionally looked at as necessary to get a good job, many are now turning to certifications or community colleges as an alternate path. While some may still perceive the types of jobs available from those community colleges or certification courses as low-paying or dirty, Bologna thinks there’s a need to fight that perception. “Many of these newer careers only require a certification that can be done in a matter of weeks without incurring all this debt,” Bologna says. “That’s really not the case,” he adds. “So many of these new careers have to do with robotics, tech manufacturing, advanced manufacturing, and other technical jobs. It’s really a matter of exposing the parents and students to these pathways,” Bologna stresses.