BATON ROUGE, LA – Today, the Louisiana Community and Technical College System (LCTCS), Louisiana Construction Education Foundation (LCEF), and the Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) announced applications for the Jump Start Construction Connect Scholars program are now available. This scholarship is the state’s only scholarship dedicated exclusively to Jump Start graduates who earn a Jump Start credential and a Louisiana high school diploma and subsequently enroll fulltime in an LCTCS Construction Pathway Program or an Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) training program the summer or fall immediately following graduation. The scholarship will help graduates gain the necessary training to earn industry employment in construction crafts and STEM-related fields aligned to high-demand and high-income jobs. Since its inception, 26 students have earned the scholarship.
“The Louisiana Construction Education Foundation is pleased to partner with LCTCS and LDOE to provide funds for high school graduates to continue their education in a construction craft field and successfully find employment,” said Milton Graugnard, LCEF Board Chairman and Executive Vice President at Cajun Industries, LLC. “We are extremely proud of the students who have earned scholarships so far. The construction industry offers many career growth opportunities through various disciplines, including STEM, to those who want to participate. As such, the future of the construction industry is exceptionally bright.”
“Today’s announcement is workforce development in its purest form,” said Monty Sullivan, LCTCS President. “This scholarship will impact students across the entire state. It is important for Jump Start students to know there are opportunities in their communities to continue their education at community and technical colleges in construction and STEM fields, and that these programs can lead to good-paying careers.”
Eligibility Requirements
Any high school senior who has a National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) credential, will earn a Jump Start Career Diploma and enrolls full-time in an LCTCS Construction Pathway Program or an ABC training program in the summer or fall semester immediately following high school graduation.
Scholarship Award
For the 2022-2023 school year, up to 40 one-time scholarships will be awarded at $1,000 per recipient.
Selection Criteria
Recipients of this scholarship will be selected by the LCEF Board based on the strength of the industry credential(s) they earned in high school, letters of recommendation, participation in career and technical student organizations, and academic achievements such as GPA, career and technical course work, and skills competition recognition.
Timeline
Application Release: January 24, 2022
Application Deadline: May 20, 2022
Selection of Recipients: May 23 – 26, 2022
Recipient Notification: May 27, 2022
