When Marco Tejeda-Kemp, Director of Talent and Workforce at Greater New Orleans, Inc., looks at Southeast Louisiana’s infrastructure sector, he sees both promise and challenge. After years of connecting employers with skilled workers, he’s watched the gap widen between the number of available jobs and the trained talent required to fill them.
“[There was] clear employer demand for modern, industry-ready talent in infrastructure-related fields—including advanced manufacturing, energy, maritime logistics, construction and transportation—and the need to scale equitable access to those careers,” he says.
That demand helped spark the Greater New Orleans Infrastructure Partnership (GNOIP), a regional consortium led by Delgado Community College alongside Northshore Technical Community College, Nunez Community College and River Parishes Community College, with GNO, Inc. serving as convener. Supported by a $6.05 million U.S. Department of Labor Strengthening Community Colleges Training Grant—one of only 16 awarded nationwide—GNOIP is building a coordinated system to train residents across 10 parishes for high-demand infrastructure jobs.
The funding aims to improve access to these careers for historically underrepresented communities and focuses on preparing students for roles in construction, energy, transportation logistics, automotive technology, and industrial maintenance.
A Regional Approach to Workforce Development
What sets GNOIP apart is its coordinated structure. “GNOIP pairs our regional economic development organization, GNO, Inc., with a consortium of four community colleges under one Department of Labor grant,” Tejeda-Kemp explains. “It unifies employer engagement, curriculum validation and equipment modernization across multiple campuses and industries rather than separate, isolated training programs.”
Delgado serves as the lead institution, overseeing grant administration, curriculum development and technical support. “This partnership will prepare hundreds throughout Southeast Louisiana for high-earning jobs, result in the development of innovative and data-driven curricula, and incorporate state-of-the-art technology into training to fortify our graduates’ readiness for the workforce” says Delgado Chancellor Dr. Larissa Littleton-Steib.
The colleges meet quarterly, and Dr. Susanne B. Dietzel, program director for the grant at Delgado, visits each campus to support implementation. “The GNOIP partners are located strategically throughout the region, and each college has the advantage of working with business and industry partners to develop curriculum unique to their industries within that region,” she said.
GNO Inc., as the convener and liaison to industry and employer partners, hosts industry roundtables and advisory boards and coordinates data that informs course offerings.”
Rather than compete, the colleges have divided responsibilities strategically. “Each college offers distinct strengths and serves a different segment of the 10-parish labor market,” Tejeda-Kemp says. “Together, the consortium ensures broad geographic coverage and reduces duplication of programs.”
Reggie J. Poché, interim vice chancellor for strategic partnerships and engagement at Nunez Community College, likens the institutions to siblings in the same family. “We each have our own distinct identities, personalities and talents,” he says. “We figured out how we complement each other with regard to our respective expertise.”
From Industry Demand to Career Pathways
Critical to GNOIP’s design is employer-validated training. Major companies across energy, manufacturing, maritime logistics, construction and transportation help guide the process.
Tejeda-Kemp notes that high-demand roles include process technology operators, industrial maintenance, and automotive instrumentation technicians. To align training with these needs, employers participate through advisory committees, MOUs and regular roundtables. Their feedback directly informs equipment purchases and curriculum updates.
For Poché, this engagement is essential. “Every program at Nunez is developed with employer input from day one,” he says. Advisory boards help shape curricula, and employers often come to campus to evaluate equipment, participate in mock training scenarios and conduct mock job interviews.
This influence extends into classrooms and labs. At Nunez, for example, a typical student might first complete process technology simulator modules aligned with employer-defined competencies and then progress to a worksite practicum evaluated by industry partners.
Strategic Programs Across Four Campuses
The four colleges each contribute specialized programs that together meet the region’s infrastructure and workforce needs. Delgado Community College leads training in transportation and automotive fields, offering everything from commercial trucking, heavy equipment operation, and diesel engine repair to the region’s first EV Technology program launching in 2026. Northshore Technical Community College focuses on energy infrastructure and construction, while Nunez Community College serves as the regional hub for process technology, particularly as the LNG sector expands. River Parishes Community College anchors training in industrial maintenance trades essential to manufacturing and energy facilities.
The grant has also enabled significant equipment upgrades across campuses. Nunez purchased a nearly $1 million LNG trainer for its Process Technology program, giving students hands-on experience to complement the methanol plant already on campus.
“They get to touch the valves. They get to move the controls,” Poché says, noting that “thanks to GNOIP, they will now have a liquified natural gas trainer on which to train.”
At Delgado, a $850,000 congressional earmark from Representative Troy Carter, together with the DOL funding for the EV program, will support the creation of the region’s first Automotive Center of Excellence. A commercial-grade EV charger donated by Paretti Land Rover will anchor the program.
“It’s a game-changer for our program,” says Cristina Alvardo-Suarez, dean of the School of Construction Arts & Technical Studies at Delgado.
Creating Opportunities
GNOIP recognizes that training alone isn’t enough, access matters. “Challenges vary across the region,” Tejeda-Kemp says. “Some areas face transportation and childcare access issues, while others have limited training facilities or outdated equipment.”
Students can also access financial support through programs like the M.J. Foster Promise Program and the Workforce Opportunity Investment Act. “One of our grant objectives is to assist students in maximizing this funding,” Dietzel says .
The programs serve recent graduates, working adults, career changers and underemployed individuals, with a focus on equitable access. Training timelines vary—from industry recognized certificate program that can lead to employment in 30 to 90 days to longer degree programs that unlock higher-earning roles.
Defining Success
For GNOIP, success means more than placing students in jobs—it means guiding them into what the partnership calls “Good Jobs.” These are roles with living wages, benefits, advancement opportunities and employer investment in skill development.
“A two-year degree, even short-term workforce training or obtaining an industry-based credential, is just as valuable (and more affordable for the student) in many instances,” Poché notes.
GNOIP will track enrollment, credential attainment, job placement and retention, wage progression and employer satisfaction. “We’ll track upward mobility—whether participants can move from entry-level roles to supervisory positions,” Poché says. “The goal isn’t just employment; it’s building careers that sustain families and communities.”
Ultimately, the effort supports regional economic development. “A stronger infrastructure workforce supports business attraction, accelerates project delivery and keeps infrastructure investments local,” Tejeda-Kemp says. “This strengthens the region’s competitiveness, creates higher wage jobs and fuels inclusive economic growth.”
Poché measures success in a way that’s easy to visualize: “seeing more Louisiana license plates” at worksites across the state—not those from Texas, Missouri or Oklahoma. His advice to prospective students is simple: “These programs are built to meet you where you are. Every step counts toward a career that builds both your future and your community’s.”
GNOIP Training Programs at a Glance
Delgado Community College
- Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Driver: Eight classes per year preparing students for Class A CDLs.
- Diesel Engine Specialist: Three annual courses leading to ASE credentials.
- Heavy Equipment Operator: Three classes annually offering NCCER-aligned instruction.
- Electric Vehicle Technician: Launching Spring 2026, expected to train 380+ students.
Northshore Technical Community College
- Electric Line Technician: Academic program beginning Fall 2025.
- Heavy Equipment Operator: Workforce training program launching Spring 2026.
Nunez Community College
- Process Technology with LNG Certification: Begins Summer 2026.
River Parishes Community College
- Industrial Maintenance: Starting Fall 2025, training millwrights, instrumentation specialists and pipefitters.
GNO, Inc. – The Regional Convener
As the economic development organization for the 10-parish region, GNO, Inc. serves as GNOIP’s convener, translating employer needs into program design. Through GNOu, it hosts advisory boards and roundtables and publishes the annual Greater New Orleans Jobs Report, aligning training with real labor market demand.
