CHALMETTE, La. – Nunez Community College has secured $4 million in state funding to expand its aerospace, welding and manufacturing programs while advancing plans for a new Nunez Aerospace Manufacturing Technology Building.
The funding includes $3 million to expand the college’s aerospace, welding and advanced manufacturing workforce programs and $1 million to support campus operations. College leaders say the investment will help meet growing demand for skilled workers as Louisiana continues to attract aerospace manufacturing and related industries.
Since launching in 2018, Nunez’s Aerospace Manufacturing Technology program has awarded more than 300 credentials. Graduates now work for Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Vivace, Blue Origin and other aerospace companies supporting NASA and commercial space programs. It supplies skilled workers to the aerospace industry, including employers supporting NASA missions at the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans.
The state funding also advances Nunez’s broader effort to construct a new Nunez’s Aerospace Manufacturing Technology Building or renovate an existing campus facility. The college is seeking approximately $9 million for the project, which would serve as a multi-use facility housing aerospace and other high-tech workforce programs as part of Nunez’s MADE initiative, encompassing Maritime, Aerospace, Defense manufacturing and Energy. While the college continues to secure the remaining project funding, work has begun this summer to improve the parking lot in front of the proposed facility.
“The incredible support and advocacy behind this funding is an investment in the future of our students, our region, and Louisiana’s growing aerospace and advanced manufacturing sectors,” said Dr. Tina Tinney, Nunez chancellor, who serves on the National Lieutenant Governors Association’s Aerospace, Aviation & Defense Committee and recently attended the association’s State-Federal Exchange on Aerospace in Washington, D.C.
“These dedicated dollars will help Nunez expand high-demand workforce programs, strengthen our connection to industry partners, and move us closer to realizing a state-of-the-art Aerospace Manufacturing Technology facility. We are grateful to Governor Jeff Landry, Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser, the legislative delegation, our industry partners, and community advocates who recognize that when we invest in education and workforce development, we create opportunities that transform lives, fuel economic growth, and ensure that Louisiana remains a leader in innovation and aerospace manufacturing for generations to come.”
To help build support for the investment, Nunez hosted its annual advocacy breakfast on May 28 to kick off St. Bernard Day at the Capitol in Baton Rouge. The event brought together lawmakers, industry representatives, education leaders and supporters from St. Bernard Parish at Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser’s Baton Rouge residence, which he made available to support the college’s aerospace program.
Typically held in college communities, the annual advocacy event was relocated this year to increase visibility for Louisiana’s only Aerospace Manufacturing Technology program and give state leaders an opportunity to learn more about the college’s role in preparing workers for the state’s growing aerospace sector.
“Through innovative programs like the Aerospace Manufacturing Technology program at Nunez Community College, students can see firsthand how education leads to exciting careers in a growing industry that is helping power our country’s space exploration,” said Lt. Gov. Nungesser. “Louisiana has a proud history of contributing to the space program. With work on future NASA missions happening just minutes away from Nunez at the Michoud Assembly Facility, it’s inspiring to see so many young people discovering they can be the next generation of innovators, engineers, and explorers who will help shape that future.”
Hands-On History – Nunez Aerospace Manufacturing Technology
The Nunez’s Aerospace Manufacturing Technology program’s success was also evident April 1, when Nunez hosted an official NASA watch party for the launch of the Artemis II mission.
Nunez had a personal connection to Boeing’s Space Launch System rocket, which propelled the Orion capsule and four NASA astronauts on their mission around the moon. Many graduates of the college’s Aerospace Manufacturing Technology program now work for Boeing, and some helped assemble critical components of the Space Launch System at the Michoud Assembly Facility before the rocket was transported by barge to Cape Canaveral, Florida, for launch.
Among the systems assembled by Nunez graduates were electrical and wiring components used on the rocket. To celebrate those contributions, students, alumni, faculty, staff and community members gathered in the Student Testing and Career Counseling Center to watch the launch live.
“Watching Artemis II launch and being a part of that story was an incredibly proud moment for Nunez Community College,” said Dr. Tinney. “Our Aerospace Manufacturing Technology graduates helped build the pathway to the moon, and this launch is a powerful reminder that innovation can begin right here in St. Bernard Parish.”
More than 80 guests attended the watch party, where Dr. Tinney and Nunez Aerospace Manufacturing Technology Instructor Lloyd Norton spoke about the accomplishments of the program and its graduates before leading the audience in a countdown to liftoff.
“I was very excited to see the Artemis II launch, knowing that some of the workers that made this possible are my former students,” said Norton. “I wish my students and the Artemis program a long and successful relationship.”
