Serving as the Connector
Business growth in Acadiana depends on a workforce prepared for the jobs employers need today and the opportunities they are creating for tomorrow. As a business-led organization focused on strengthening our region’s competitiveness, One Acadiana sits naturally at the intersection of industry and education. Through ConnectEd, 1A engages employers to clarify their workforce needs, empowers educators through direct connections with industry, and expands career-connected learning opportunities that prepare students for good jobs close to home.
The Key Pillars
Hosting Industry Roundtables
About this Pillar
1A’s quarterly Industry Roundtable series brings together employers who require similar skill sets in their workforces to discuss their shared needs with education and training providers. Conversations focus on recruiting, hiring, training, retention, high-demand skills, credentials, work-based learning opportunities, and emerging workforce trends.
Each Industry Roundtable is facilitated by an employer leader from the featured sector, selected for their industry knowledge, credibility with peers, and ability to guide a practical conversation around shared workforce priorities. This structure keeps employers at the center of the discussion while education, workforce, and economic development partners listen for opportunities to support, align, and collaborate.
Outcomes from the Roundtables
1A’s first Healthcare Industry Roundtable sparked the idea for a new respiratory therapy apprenticeship program, developed by Ochsner Lafayette General, LSU Eunice, and Acadiana Workforce Solutions. The roundtables also promoted CGI and Apprenti’s software developer apprenticeship program. Both programs were the first of their kind in Louisiana.
Most recently, connections formed through the Manufacturing Industry Roundtable laid the groundwork for Acadiana FAME, a new employer-led talent pipeline for advanced manufacturing.
2026 Industry Roundtable Schedule
February 27 – Healthcare
May 8 – Information Technology
August 14 – Manufacturing
October 23 – Skilled Trades
How to Participate
Employers, educators, training providers, and workforce partners interested in participating in the Industry Roundtable series or joining a specific meeting can fill out the interest form linked here or contact Maggi@OneAcadiana.org.
Linking Educators with Industry
About this Pillar
When educators understand the needs of local employers, they’re better equipped to prepare students for real-world success. Building those connections can be difficult from inside the classroom, so 1A bridges the gap – connecting teachers, counselors, and school leaders with regional employers, workforce partners, and practical resources they can bring back to their students.
Programs & Activities
Presentations & Trainings: Equip educators with industry insights, workforce trends, and resources to better connect classroom learning with real-world career opportunities.
Industry Tours: Provide educators with firsthand exposure to local industries and workplaces, helping them better understand career pathways, in-demand skills, and employment opportunities across Acadiana.
Employer Introductions & Facilitated Conversations: Build meaningful connections between educators and industry leaders to encourage collaboration, align workforce needs with classroom instruction, and strengthen career-connected learning.
Annual 1A ConnectEd Workshop: Host an immersive, multi-day professional development experience (supported by SoLAcc, with partners
including LEDA and Acadiana Workforce Solutions) that connects educators with local employers through industry tours, hands-on learning, and conversations that bring real-world career insights back to the classroom.
Promoting Career-Connected Learning
About this Pillar
Work-based learning helps students build job skills, explore career interests, and gain real workplace experience. For employers, it creates earlier connections to future talent and helps students understand workplace expectations before they enter the workforce.
Work-based learning is where business and education connect most directly – and Louisiana’s new accountability formula for K-12 public schools increases its value: students can earn a Carnegie unit through qualifying experiences, and schools can earn accountability points when approved work-based learning is tied to career preparation. In partnership with state officials, local school systems, businesses, and other stakeholders, 1A supports efforts to expand high-quality work-based learning opportunities.
This includes sharing policy updates, promoting employer incentives, connecting businesses with local Career & Technical Education leaders, and supporting regional efforts such as career fairs, industry tours, Manufacturing Week, internships, apprenticeships, and student exposure activities.
Acadiana FAME
To support the region’s growing manufacturing sector and strengthen the talent pipeline, One Acadiana is working with regional manufacturers, South Louisiana Community College (SoLAcc), and workforce partners to develop Acadiana FAME, a new employer-led career pathway into advanced manufacturing.
Host a High School Intern
If your business or organization is interested in connecting with local schools to host a high school internship or apprenticeship, contact Maggi@OneAcadiana.org or the appropriate Career & Technical Education leader for your local public school district HERE.
Other Helpful Resources:
Contact
Maggi Bienvenu, Ed.D.
Director, Business & Education Connections
Maggi@OneAcadiana.org
337-408-3671
Click on the video below for a brief overview of One Acadiana ConnectEd.
1A Industry Roundtable - Healthcare
1A Industry Roundtable - Information Technology
2026 ConnectEd Award Recipient - Iberia Parish School District
2026 ConnectEd Update
ConnectEd Summer Educator Workshop
ConnectEd Summer Educator Workshop
ConnectEd Summit 2025
Construction Training Pilot for Returning Citizens
FAME USA National Conference
Industrial Trades Job Fair
Manufacturing Month Tour at Coastal Machine & Supply
Business doesn’t replace education. It completes it by turning knowledge into experience. Classrooms provide the foundation, and workplaces bring learning to life through exposure, experience, and opportunity. When we invite learners into the workplace and business leaders into the learning process, education is enriched, careers become more attainable, and our workforce becomes stronger.
One Acadiana remains committed to shaping the future of workforce development in Acadiana in both word and deed. Engagement is dynamic, focused, practical, and has proven to yield fruit for both industry and students who possess unique needs in advancing their career.
1A ConnectEd Highlights
2026 1A ConnectEd Workshop
For a third year, One Acadiana hosted the Annual 1A ConnectEd Workshop, a three-day summer professional development program linking educators with industry. More than 20 K-12 teachers, counselors, and school leaders from across the region learned from local industry leaders, explored career pathways, and discovered new ways to help students see what’s possible after graduation. The workshop included panel discussions and immersive site visits with regional industry and workforce partners.
Intro To Construction Pilot Course
One Acadiana, the Master’s Guild Association , and the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office teamed up to pilot an Intro to Construction Work Ready Training at the Lafayette Reentry Center – preparing incarcerated individuals for reentry into the workforce. 16 participants completed 10 hours of hands-on training in blueprint reading, safe tool use, workplace ethics, and more — wrapping up with a live employer panel and connections future training and job opportunities. Learn more HERE.
2026 1A ConnectEd Update
In August of 2026, the 1A ConnectEd Update convened business, education, and community leaders to celebrate the progress being made to strengthen Acadiana’s talent pipeline and support industry needs. At the event, the Iberia Parish School District was recognized as the recipient of the 2026 1A ConnectEd Award for their outstanding work advancing career-connected learning and creating meaningful opportunities for students.