Louisiana Department of Labor statistics from 2007 show St. Charles Parish’s total civilian labor force at approximately 19,963 of which 19,081 are employed.
Productivity
Louisiana workers have a proven record of productivity and dependability
in industries as diverse and demanding as aerospace, automobile
manufacturing, shipbuilding and petrochemicals. According to
Grant Thornton’s 1990 Manufacturing Climate Study, Louisiana’s
labor force ranked #1 in value added. This study provides a
comparative ranking of how much output can be expected for every
$1 in payroll expenses. The average output nationally for every
dollar paid to a worker is $4.60. Louisiana far exceeds the
national average as its manufacturing employees produce $6.36
of output for every dollar of payroll.
The Grant Thornton study also shows Louisiana
leading the nation in having the least amount of man-hours
lost. With fewest work stoppages, the Louisiana labor force
continues to prove itself extremely reliable. Louisiana’s
Right-To-Work law has contributed greatly to this higher level
of productivity and to a favorable business climate. Louisiana
currently ranks 31st nationwide in percentage of unionization
among non-agricultural workers. In fact, over 80% of St. Charles
Parish’s work force are non-union.
Availability
The population of St. Charles Parish has grown steadily over
the past two decades to 48,072 in 2000. Moreover, St. Charles
Parish’s population is expected to approach 54,000 by
the year 2010. This has led to an abundance of skilled labor
that has been so prominent during recent plant expansions
that managers have experienced a 4 to 1 ratio of applicants
to positions available, according to Louisiana Job Service
representatives. Turnover is described by plant managers as
"very light," ranging from 10% to 15% in the region.
Employment
The 2006 Labor Department preliminary figures show employment for St. Charles Parish at approximately 22,952. The areas accounting for the largest numbers of employees are manufacturing, administrative and waste services, and construction. In 2005, St. Charles Parish had a total personal income (TPI) of $1,355,388. This TPI ranked 19th in the state and accounted for 1.2 percent of the state total. In 2005, St. Charles Parish had a per capita personal income (PCPI) of $26,811. This PCPI ranked 12th in the state and was 109 percent of the state average.
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Workforce Development
Trained skilled workers are a valuable commodity in today’s
highly competitive global market. An availability of employees
who possess the necessary skills and knowledge gives businesses
that extra edge. To assure new and expanding businesses they
will have access to a pool of workers with the education and
expertise necessary for their operations, area schools work
closely with local businesses to ensure that their graduates
have the essential aptitudes that are utilized in today’s
workplace. Additionally, if new or prospective employees need
training, the Economic Development Department collaborates
with various state agencies to establish customized workforce
instruction to satisfy a business’s employment needs.
These programs include:
Quickstart
Quickstart is a program designed to provide a quick response
to "custom tailored" training to help new or expanding
businesses become productive in a short period of time. Funded
by the LA State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education,
Quickstart provides you a pool of skilled and productive employees
ready to meet job requirements. Training can be provided at
the nearby LA Technical Institute – River Parishes Campus
in Reserve, at the new company or business facility site,
or at a neutral site, depending upon training needs. Evening
or daytime training is usually conducted prior to employment.
All training costs are absorbed by Quickstart and the Technical
Institute.
LEDC Workforce Development & Training
Program
The purpose of this program is to develop and provide customized
workforce training to existing and prospective Louisiana businesses.
Unlike most other public training programs, LEDC’s program
is designed to meet the diverse training needs of Louisiana
businesses which are committed to the creation and upgrading
or retention of specific jobs. Applicants can be individual
companies or a consortium of companies operating in a related
industry or field. Funding awards will be paid to recipient
companies as a reimbursement of eligible training expenses.
The types of training eligible for funding are Pre-Employment
Training, On-The-Job Training, and Workplace-Based Retraining.
Workforce Investment Act (WIA)
More WIA funding per capita is made available to Louisiana
than to any other state. On-The-Job-Training (OJT) helps employers
cut training costs in half by providing a 50% reimbursement
of salary for training for up to six months. Visit their website
at: www.stcharlesgov.net/wia
Job Service
A federally funded program maintained by the Louisiana Department
of Employment and Training, Job Service files contain the
largest supply of qualified job seekers in the state. Job
listings which cannot be filled on a local basis are fed into
a computerized system which brings the job order to placement
interviewers in offices across the state. Employers may also
use the facilities of any of the Job Services offices statewide
to carry out their own prospective employee search. An employer
may advertise a job opening in any area of the state and have
a representative conduct interviews in Job Service offices
where qualified applicants are available. Visit the Department
of Labor website at: www.laworks.net
For further information please contact:
St. Charles Parish Department of Economic Development &
Tourism
P.O. Box 302
Hahnville, LA 70057
Telephone: (985) 783-5140
Fax: (985) 783-6447
Email: econdev@stcharlesgov.net
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