Penelope Shumaker sounds frustrated.

The campus dean for South Central Louisiana Technical College should and does have a lot to be excited about.

She is leading the Reserve campus’ transition this summer into full-fledged community college status, officially joining the River Parishes Community College system.

Yet, when she looks at nearly filled classrooms and enrollment numbers, the lack of St. John the Baptist Parish students troubles her.

“Local industry is having a difficult time filling positions with local residents from St. John Parish,” Shumaker told School Board members during an impassioned plea for greater awareness Thursday evening. “We built a new building, and those classrooms are filled most of the time, but they are filled with people from Ponchatoula, Jefferson, Lafourche, St. James and St. Charles.

“We haven’t been able to solve the big issue of getting the St. John residents in school so they can join industry.”

Shumaker said she was particularly frustrated with local response during Wednesday night’s career fair and free concert.

She said the school was prepared to giveaway 10 $1,000 scholarships during the event to qualifying students, which simply meant they were prospective enrollees interested in “possibly” attending the college.

Only six students qualified, and of those half-dozen, Shumaker told School Board members only two were from St. John Parish.

“I truly don’t understand why,” she said. “I don’t understand what the answer is. We tried various projects and events. I am open to suggestion. Industry truly is complaining. One of their mandates when they come here is they will hire local people, but if they are not trained, they will not hire them. We are right here and we can train them.”

Classes are available on the Airline Highway campus, starting at 7 a.m. and ending at 9 p.m.

Online options and free on-site childcare for those who qualify are other enticements.

The college’s next outreach event is scheduled April 18 and dubbed Career Links.

“It brings parents, children, industry and our programs all together in one room,” Shumaker said. “Parents can talk to Marathon, Shell and Dow and ask, ‘what type of opportunities are you going to have in the future?’ ‘What kind of opportunities do you have now?’

“It gives everyone the opportunity to ask all the questions at one time.”

Shumaker said representatives of the school’s financial aid and admissions offices are there to create a custom schedule to fit around potential students’ financial and timing concerns.

Shumaker said she is looking to direct mail as many as 4,800 letters across the River Parishes to those interested. Still, she expressed caution, saying only 100 people typically attend.

Stephen Hemelt is publisher and editor of L’OBSERVATEUR. He can be reached at 985-652-9545 or stephen.hemelt@lobservateur.com.