NEW ORLEANS — Delgado Community College will host its 3rd Technical Skills Expo (TSE) from Monday, October 10, through Tuesday, October 11, 2016, at the Jefferson Campus, located at 5200 Blair Dr., in Metairie.
The TSE introduces high school students to high-wage, high-demand occupations in the region as viable career pathways offered by Delgado through its Dual Enrollment (DE) program. Featured programs at this year's TSE will include carpentry, electrical, automotive, welding, industrial maintenance, precision machining and instrumentation and control.
During the first two expos in 2013 and 2014, Delgado and its business/ industry partners provided overviews of each occupation with real-life demonstrations on state-of-the-art equipment to approximately 1,500 students. The TSE has proven to ignite an interest in many students leading to an increase in the College's DE program.
In the spring of 2016, 15 DE students graduated from, both, their respective high schools and Delgado Community College. Eight of the graduates were from Grace King High School and seven of the graduates, affectionately known as the "Super Seven," were from Warren Easton Charter High School. There are more students on track to graduate next semester. Many of these students were introduced to their programs at a previous TSE.
This year's TSE will also include a demonstration from the Fab Lab, a new, advanced fabrication lab. Through a partnership between Delgado Community College, the Fab Foundation of Massachusetts Institute of Technology's (MIT) Center for Bits and Atoms, and Chevron, the longstanding TSE sponsor, the Fab Lab's focus is K-12 Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education and outreach. The goal of the NOLA Fab Lab at Delgado Community College is to become a hub for educators and makers in New Orleans, to provide them with open access and instruction to advance fabrication resources for their classes and to serve as a collaborative space for exploration and experimentation.
"Delgado is excited to continue its goal to introduce local high school students to opportunities in the workforce," said Dr. Arnel Cosey, Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs.
Students are encouraged to inform their high school administrators and counselors of their interest in attending the Expo.
