In December 2006 the Louisiana Recovery Authority awarded $38 million in grants to support sector initiatives in hurricane-affected regions of Louisiana. As a part of that award, the New Orleans region received funding for advanced manufacturing, healthcare, construction, and other sector initiatives, including one with which NNSP worked extensively. Early on, NNSP advocated for state officials to provide policy support for sector programs. NNSP then provided technical assistance to promote the Louisiana Recovery Authority’s use of Emergency Community Block Development Grant funding to support sector initiatives. Later, we provided examples of sector initiatives that received Community Block Development Grant funds. Additionally, we worked with Greater New Orleans, Inc. to recommend language that was incorporated into the Request for Proposals.

Part of the funding will expand a shipbuilding sector initiative in the New Orleans region. Hurricane Katrina left the New Orleans region in shambles. However, the shipbuilding industry started to recover quickly. Building upon previous workforce development efforts, Greater New Orleans, Inc. worked with NNSP to develop a sector initiative with major shipyards and programs that provide literacy and employability skill development, occupational skill development program, and other services. NNSP and the Corporation for a Skilled Workforce helped Greater New Orleans, Inc. obtain National Emergency Grant funds for initial support. The shipbuilding sector initiative’s partners worked hard to overcome enormous challenges due to the New Orleans region’s low literacy levels, the impact of the hurricane, and the need for design and operations to occur simultaneously. As the first phase of the initiative ended, NNSP helped the partners develop an action plan to strengthen the effort for the next phase. The partners have formed solution groups to carry out the action plan, and have obtained a $2 million grant from the Louisiana Recovery Authority which will support that work and expand the industry focus to include both shipbuilding and other advanced manufacturing.