Louisiana Technical College, Teche Area Campus is on the move, not from its present location on Ember Drive in New Iberia but in its on-site mobile training facilities.

The school showed off three units at an open house Thursday. The mobile classrooms were purchased with grant money the school received.

One targets advanced manufacturing and welding training, a second offers a computer lab on wheels and then there is the school’s bright yellow tractor-trailer truck driving simulator.

Welding instructor Thomas Smith, center, describes a mobile testing unit for welders to Ryan Wilkins, left, and Vernon Wilkins, both with B&B Oilfield Services Inc., during the open house Thursday at Louisiana Technical College, Teche Area Campus. -- Bill Smith / The Daily Iberian Advertisement

Annette Faulk, dean of LTC, said the open house showcased what the school has been doing with its grant money.

“We want employers and potential students to see what we have available,” Faulk said. “The training labs can be used for retraining and training of entry level workers and all available for use by companies on their property.”

The school recently received a federal high growth jobs training grant, 11 of which were awarded nationally with LTC granted $1 million that Faulk said will help the school incorporate new training programs such as solar energy training and virtual oil and gas platforms.

Tommy Smith, 62, has been teaching welding in the LTC system since 1991 and at the Teche Area campus for the past four years.

“Right now, local companies are short several thousand welders and are willing to pay pretty good for  them,” he said.

“Years ago we had a pretty good demand here and then the ’80s come through and hurt oil and gas. But the industry has come back strong and now the industry is spreading worldwide. The companies out here are doing well and interest in the welding program is increasing.”

Smith said a visit to the port, where many welding and fabrication shops are located, is evidence of aging foremen and welders. He claims this will increase the need for welders in the coming years.

Pierre Juteau, community development instructor coordinator with LTC, said companies are beginning to be more proactive sending their people to receive training that increases the quality of their workforce and of their work.

“If we bring this highly technical knowledge into the area, companies won’t have to send work outside the state to get the job done,” Juteau said.

“By doing a lot more work in-house there will be big savings on their costs.”

Renee Covington, continuing education coordinator for LTC, said the mobile computer lab is flexible and can be used for many types of training from on computers to more classroom type instruction.

“The industries here are changing a lot and are requiring new types of training on a much wider spectrum,” she said.

“A lot of companies really want cross trained employees. We are concentrating on developing our relationships with industries so we can offer more specialized, industry-based training.”

Covington said the school has also been offering dual enrollment programs with all high schools in the parish. This program allows juniors and seniors to attend LTC classes during the academic year free of charge.

 She cited one student who participated in the program during high school, graduated in May with only one more semester to finish his electrician courses way ahead of the game.

“This in particular is a great opportunity for the parishes’ students,” Covington said.

“We certainly want to make sure that people know it is an option here.”

Training in many industry sectors is available for free, and Faulk said they will remain so until at least December 2009.

Approximately 300 students already have graduated under the free training progam.