NEW ORLEANS – Delgado Community College has been awarded $1.9 million from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation to support job-related education for opportunity youth in the college’s Allied Health and Hospitality programs.
Opportunity youth are young people 16 to 24 years old who are out of work and out of school.
Funding from the grant will be received over three years, beginning October 1, 2021. With a direct focus on students and their needs, the grant will focus on four key objectives:
- Reduce the number of opportunity youth who are unemployed in the New Orleans region.
- Decrease attrition and increase academic success in the opportunity youth student demographic.
- Improve math and English skills of opportunity youth students in Allied Health academic programs.
- Strengthen opportunity youth community partnerships with healthcare organizations.
“At Delgado we prepare students to meet the challenges of tomorrow’s workplace with an educational experience that is grounded in the best professional practices and standards of every industry in the New Orleans region, including healthcare and hospitality,” said Dr. Larissa Littleton-Steib, the school’s chancellor.
Through a team approach leveraging adult education, contextualized coursework and differential instruction, Delgado educators can meet every participating student academically and begin the education process.
Delgado offers more than 30 associate degree and certificate programs that meet a wide range of healthcare career education needs, including radiologic technology, respiratory therapy, surgical technology and pharmacy technicians. The healthcare field provides excellent job opportunities for those with the right skills.
Delgado Allied Health programs graduate approximately 400 students per year, making the division the largest in Louisiana and among the most successful nationwide.
The hospitality and tourism industry has lost over 45,000 jobs in New Orleans since the coronavirus pandemic began. Delgado educators will work with local partners in hospitality training to identify candidates aspiring to apply for employment and promotion, enhancing their skills and knowledge through credentials and a college degree.
Earlier this year, the Delgado Hospitality program received the Number One ranking among all schools nationwide including four-year universities from the information resource Intelligent.com.
