Learning Community : Baton Rouge Area Chamber

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Education is a profoundly important determinant of our ability to attract new business development and sustain our existing business community. When businesses contemplate locations for expansion or relocation, access to a high-quality workforce is a prime consideration, as is the quality of the K-12 school system.

As a consequence, BRAC's economic development efforts rest on our ability to develop and sustain high-quality educational institutions and to train individuals capable of making a contribution to the economy.

BRAC is leading a comprehensive effort to position the Baton Rouge area as a learning community wherein the pursuit of knowledge is a lifelong goal and an asset that advances economic opportunity and prosperity in our region.

In 2006, the Learning Community initiative included a series of activities designed to educate the regional community about the eleven public school systems in our region and raise public awareness of the September school board elections. Major components of our 2006 efforts included an award-winning five-part research series on public education in the region, voter resources for the September school board elections, and the half-day training course for those considering public office (Louisiana Political Training Institute - How to Get Elected). Using the research series as a foundation, BRAC then developed in 2007 a five-year strategic action plan for improving student achievement levels across the Baton Rouge area.

BRAC has supported numerous initiatives proposed by local school boards that are designed to enhance K-12 public education in the Baton Rouge area. Included in those efforts were two tax initiatives proposed in 2007 by West Baton Rouge Parish and St. Helena Parish, respectively. BRAC, emphasizing its belief that public education is a major driver of long-term economic prosperity, publicly supported both proposals.

BRAC’s efforts in higher education have also been significant. In 2007, BRAC was instrumental in securing significant recurring funding from the Louisiana Legislature to support higher education across the state. These funding increases are enabling our region’s higher education institutions - Louisiana State University (LSU), Southern University, and Baton Rouge Community College - to increase their effectiveness in education and research. In particular, BRAC is actively supporting LSU in its efforts to become a nationally competitive research university that supports and drives a knowledge-based economy throughout our region and state.

Through the Learning Community initiative, BRAC is also spearheading efforts to enhance the region’s workforce development programs. Over the first half of 2007, BRAC worked with a pair of nationally recognized economic and workforce development consultants to assess the nine-parish area’s current labor supply and demand, job candidate strength’s and weaknesses, current workforce development efforts, and untapped labor resources. To support the effort, BRAC assembled a regional workforce taskforce comprised of community and business leaders in industry segments struggling to hire and retain employees. Working with the workforce taskforce, BRAC developed an action plan to address the workforce challenges that our region faces. The action plan includes initiatives focused both at the state and regional level and envisions strong coordination with other business organizations’ efforts.

Members can click here to veiw the 2007 Baton Rouge Area Workforce Assessment.