History
Originally known as "Trade Schools", Louisiana's technical colleges began with the establishment of the first campus in Bogalusa in November 1930. Funding for the school was provided by local sawmill workers, school children, and other citizens in response to their desire to expand course offerings through the Bogalusa School System to include a "manual arts" training department. Initially, training was provided in woodworking and automobile mechanics.
In 1936 a second school came into existence in Shreveport. Campuses were then expanded to a total of five schools with passage of the Louisiana Legislative Act 14 in 1938. Schools were constructed in Winnfield, Crowley, Lake Charles, Opelousas, and Natchitoches. Two schools in Monroe were added in the early 1940s as the result of the War Production Training Program. Louisiana Legislative Act 109 passed in 1942 authorized a tenth school in the statewide system to be built in Cottonport. This campus, Avoyelles Campus, was not completed until after World War II in 1947.
As the result of passing the Vocational Education Act of 1946, the building of technical campuses continued. Between 1950 and 1957, a total of 17 additional schools were constructed, bringing the cumulative total of state-operated post-secondary technical schools to 27.
Between 1958 and 1973, the pace for expansion slowed considerably, with only six additional schools constructed. The pace again increased with passage of Acts 208 and 209 of the Louisiana Legislature in 1973. Act 208 provided for comprehensive statewide structure of career education from elementary through post-secondary levels of education. From 1974 to 1987, the total number of technical campuses grew by an additional 22 campuses. The legislation also led to the consolidation of historically black technical schools with other technical institutions in Opelousas, Monroe, and Natchitoches. The net effect of these changes was a statewide organization of post-secondary technical training involving 53 campuses.
Since the late 1980s there has been a decrease in the number of post-secondary state-operated technical institutions. Currently, there are 40 technical campuses.
Programs on the Bogalusa campus and the other nine campuses expanded during mid to late 1930s and early 1940s. By 1945, ten different programs were offered, including: automobile mechanics, carpentry, commerce (business office), electricity, machine shop, mechanical drawing, radio, refrigeration and air conditioning, sheet metal, and welding. Today, the LTC campuses offer approximately 75 training programs offering a diploma under 16 major occupational areas from carpentry to computer networking. Additional, the LTC provides training which leads to an Associate of Applied Technology Degree in 38 programs under thirteen major occupational areas from practical nursing to pulp and paper technology. Throughout the years, the building and expansion of the number of technical college campuses has increased the number of Louisiana citizens served by occupational education, enabling them to be prepared and receive training for high demand, skilled jobs.
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