LAPLACE — There are job opportunities in the River Parishes, and there are plenty of people in the region looking for jobs.

Unfortunately, many concerned members of the business community don’t see the two groups matching up.

That misfire and resulting opportunity for improvement is inspiring River Region Chamber of Commerce members to focus greater attention on workforce development.

Chamber Chairwoman Annette Wray said many members are vocal regarding the need for skilled laborers.

“When exploring a more clear definition of need, many gaps and misconceptions were realized, and it is a large concern for our industry members, as well as local government partners,” Wray said. “Therefore, business volunteers and Board members agree it is our duty to spark focused dialogue on this topic and dig deeper to discover the true gaps in the workplace so the next steps can be created.”

Wray, service manager for Cox Business — New Orleans, said the Chamber wants to serve as the initial catalyst for the industry, education and business sectors to partner in meeting the demand for a skilled local workforce.

Chamber leaders are asking all River Region organizations or resources that help residents with job placement skills and workforce education to contact the Chamber office to create a joint initiative.

“I think the job opportunities are visible, but I think pre-training — interview skills, soft skill development — plus the workforce training programs are not,” Wray said. “It may be that we need to share the value of interview skills. That actually may be one of the gaps our young adults don’t know they need support until they get to the interview, don’t do well and wonder why.”

For more information on the Chamber, call 985-359-9777 or log onto RiverRegionChamber.org.

Tommy Scott, director of the Louisiana Workforce Commission for the River Parishes, said he notices an influx of outsourcing by local industries filling job openings.

“May the better-qualified individuals, by all means, receive those positions, but what we’re trying to do is strengthen our local workforce to make sure our local residents are at least able to competitively apply for these jobs and fill some of those positions,” Scott said.

According to Scott, many residents are not aware of the specific training and certifications needed by local industries.

He said the Workforce Commission is working to sit at the table with local companies to learn verbatim exactly what training and certifications are needed in hopes of sharing the information with residents about local job opportunities available.

“It’s a little bit of miscommunication, if you will, on the part of the employers and the residents,” Scott said. “That is where we try to come in and be their liaison between the two.

“We want to assure the individuals that do reside in this area that they can live, work and provide a sustainable quality of life in the River Parishes. They can actually enjoy life and provide for themselves and their families while living in this particular parish. That is not a caveat everybody has. Many people have to drive to make their living.”

For more information on Louisiana Workforce Commission, log onto Laworks.net.