BATON ROUGE, La.  – During its 2022 grantmaking cycle, the Louisiana Construction Education Foundation (LCEF) awarded $60,000 to Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc. (ABC) New Orleans-Bayou Chapter. This award will help repair extensive damage to the critical training facility following Hurricane Ida. Funds will also support marketing construction training opportunities to a diverse audience across the Metropolitan New Orleans area. The LCEF shares this critical goal of expanding quality education and training opportunities to those seeking rewarding careers in construction.

“The construction market continues to need hundreds of thousands of entrants and skilled workers to meet the demand, said LCEF Board President Milton Graugnard of Cajun Industries. “This will assist in our efforts in providing meaningful careers and endless opportunities to those men and women who join our industry,” he added.

Funding will be used to repair damaged areas of the facility and install new and improved technologies to several buildings on the campus. With plans to make their space more usable and accessible for students, ABC Bayou will also offer virtual options to improve its ability to make training more accessible to all students.

“We are extremely grateful for the grant from the Louisiana Construction Education Foundation, which will allow us to not only rebuild and modernize our facility but also promote and market the importance of craft training and apprenticeship in the construction industry, said ABC Bayou President & CEO Jeb Bruneau. “This investment will have a lasting impact on the industry in Louisiana and New Orleans/Bayou service area, providing a skilled workforce for years to come and ensuring that we continue to meet the growing demand for construction services with the highest level of quality and safety, according to Bruneau.”

Grants are funded by tax-deductible contributions to the Foundation. Grant applications are currently open on the LCEF website at https://www.lceftoday.org/grant-application for qualifying organizations supporting training and related programs aimed at expanding Louisiana’s construction workforce.

Since its founding in 2009, LCEF has funded diverse, transformative projects that improve the accessibility and quality of construction education and training across Louisiana.

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About the Louisiana Construction Education Foundation (LCEF)

The Louisiana Construction Education Foundation (LCEF) was established in 2009 to expand quality education and training opportunities for those seeking a rewarding career in construction. LCEF works to increase the number and quality of construction education programs across the state. A nonprofit organization LCEF has supported education and training by funding programs, scholarships, equipment, instruction and other assets. For more information, visit www.lceftoday.org.