Among those tools, a highly customized workforce program emerged: LED FastStart®. Focused on business needs, FastStart quickly convinced companies they could rely on the Louisiana Economic Development program for success.
“Life without FastStart becomes very challenging,” said Kevin Mitchell, site manager for Northrop Grumman in Lake Charles, La. “We would not be able to meet a lot of our objectives without those types of skills coming out of FastStart. I could not come up with a complaint if I tried: It was outstanding support.”
By 2010, Gov. Bobby Jindal could tout FastStart as a rising star, as it ranked among the nation’s top state workforce training programs. “We created LED FastStart to give companies the confidence they can recruit highly talented employees in Louisiana,” Gov. Jindal said, “but also so that we can comprehensively train those employees in a very short period of time.”
How FastStart works
In FastStart, Louisiana assembled a permanent team of highly skilled professionals — experts who forge rapid solutions for recruiting talent, for matching recruits to specific jobs, and for training new and existing employees to meet project goals. An extended team of industry experts designs, develops, and delivers the training in partnership with clients, using blueprints designed by FastStart and approved by the companies.
Eligibility covers many sectors: headquarters and business operations, advanced and traditional manufacturing, digital media and software development, service industries, research and development, warehouse and distribution — and other sectors aligned with Louisiana’s economic development targets. Companies must commit to creating a net of at least 15 new permanent manufacturing jobs or a net of at least 50 new permanent service-related jobs.
At its core, FastStart offers companies a transformational experience through a unique strategic plan and highly effective solutions customized for each client. FastStart continuously rethinks the way training is designed and delivered, reaching employees in different locations through real-time, immersive instruction on iPads and other handheld devices.
Every project focuses on company metrics, not state-based goals. FastStart prides itself on staying ahead of company schedules, and companies aren’t required to file laborious paperwork: FastStart gets to work immediately. To learn more, visit OpportunityLouisiana.com.
