BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) — On Tuesday, the Louisiana Workforce Commission (LWC) launched a program to bring free career courses to people across the state.

LWC partnered with Coursera to create the Tech Ready Louisiana program to offer Louisiana residents access to help them develop skills to prepare them for careers.

“Tech Ready Louisiana will take people from courses to careers,” said LWC Secretary Ava Cates, “Everything
from learning Microsoft Office, to skills in the IT or healthcare industries. This is about giving Louisianans the
opportunity to learn new, marketable skills to advance in their current job or get the career they’ve always
wanted.”

Tech Ready Louisiana aims to provide Louisianans with over 5,000 education and training courses to help them reach career goals and build skills such as digital skills, data analytics, healthcare, and hospitality. All courses are online and available to work around schedules. Learners can earn a certificate within three to six months.

“Technology is creating new opportunities in the workforce, but workers need access to flexible, affordable,
and fast-tracked pathways to transition into well-paying jobs of the future,” said Coursera CEO Jeff
Maggioncalda. “We’re honored to partner with the Louisiana Workforce Commission to launch a free statewide training initiative that will equip thousands of Louisianans with the high-demand skills and credentials needed to advance their careers and unlock their full earning potential in the new economy.”

A new study shows more than half of Louisianans either do not have access to or cannot afford high-speed internet, so LWC will be opening their American Job Centers for people to access these courses.

“We know Louisiana struggles when it comes to making broadband available and affordable for our people,”
said Cates. “We have almost 60 American Job Centers and affiliate sites across the state available for people
to come in and use reliable internet to complete these courses.”

To register for Tech Ready Louisiana, residents need to be 18 years or older and have a HiRE account. Once an account has been made, residents can register here.