GBRIA Receives Workforce Development Investment from FUEL

April 28, 2025 — Future Use of Energy in Louisiana (FUEL) is proud to announce its first-round workforce development investments through the Seed and Scale Funds, awarding nearly $900,000 in funding to 13 Louisiana programs advancing energy talent development.

FUEL’s Seed Fund is providing six new workforce initiatives and projects with $20,000 each; FUEL’s Scale Fund is providing seven existing workforce programs with $100,000 each to expand their reach and impact.  All funded projects are focused on one or several of FUEL’s workforce development focus areas: STEM Support, Teacher Engagement, Course Enhancement, and/or Work-Based Learning. Each funded project demonstrated industry connectivity and a clear connection to the in-demand talent needs of Louisiana’s energy sector.

Seed Project Highlights

St. Mary Parish School System: Establishes a district-wide FIRST Robotics team to motivate students in STEM and provide hands-on robotics training

Pro Fab Education: Leveraging advanced manufacturing to build the capacity of K-12 educators delivering high-quality STEM education through interdisciplinary project-based learning

GNO STEM: Providing a teacher professional development opportunity that will benefit STEM educators and engage their students in meaningful hands-on experiences while highlighting local energy careers and career pathways

TRC XR EDU, LLC: Creating a virtual reality (VR) module that introduces secondary and college students to future job opportunities, key skills required, and pathways to secure these jobs

Louisiana Art & Science Museum / Irene W. Pennington Planetarium: Offering a Kids’ Energy Day to promote and increase energy literacy and career awareness, and a Teacher Workshop focused on energy-related training with curriculum for use in 4th and 5th grade classrooms

University of Louisiana at Lafayette: Collaborating with industrial partners to boost the industry and students’ awareness of sustainable manufacturing in Louisiana’s energy sector

Scale Project Highlights

Louisiana Tech: Enhancing the electrical engineering curriculum by introducing and updating new courses to help students gain theoretical and hands-on experiences with emerging energy technologies

East Baton Rouge Parish School System: Expanding the EBR Learn and Earn Energy Transition Internship Program by funding an additional 40 underserved students to participate in energy-focused internships

Greater Baton Rouge Industry Alliance: Expanding their Educator Externship Program, fostering a deeper understanding of the most effective paths to lucrative career opportunities in the energy industry

Southeastern Louisiana University: Inspiring educational experiences across Louisiana’s energy industry for students in grades 9-12 through the Southeastern STEM Scholars Energy Academy (SSEA)

ExxonMobil: Expanding the STEM Energy Professional Development program with SOWELA Technical Community College and Allen Parish School Board to include rural parish school districts in southwest Louisiana

LSU Electrical Engineering: Enhancing the safety and efficiency of offshore energy operations by integrating virtual learning, augmented reality (AR), and virtual reality (VR) into the existing curriculum

River Parishes Community College: Creating an electrical concentration with the E&I Technology program, enriching the academic program with industry-relevant certifications, usage of virtual (VR) and augmented (AR) reality technologies, dedicated energy training activities/courses, and professional development opportunities for the faculty

FUEL’s Workforce Development Director, Lacy McManus, states, “The investments from FUEL’s Seed and Scale Funds will continue to advance Louisiana’s longstanding legacy of leading energy talent. Through these programs, Louisiana will continue to provide opportunities and pathways into the energy landscape for generations to come.”

In announcing these first-round Seed and Scale investments, Executive Director Dr. Michael Mazzola stated, “FUEL is positioning the state of Louisiana to be a long-term energy leader through these strategic educational and workforce investments. These investments represent our commitment to cultivating STEM entrepreneurs who will help grow economic opportunities in Louisiana.”

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About FUEL

Future Use of Energy in Louisiana (FUEL) is a collaborative initiative bringing together universities, community and technical colleges, state agencies, industry partners, and capital investors, all led by LSU. With up to $160 million in funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF) through the NSF Engines program and an additional $67.5 million from Louisiana Economic Development, FUEL is dedicated to driving the state’s energy innovation forward. The initiative will support energy-focused research and development, workforce training, the commercialization of cutting-edge technologies, and energy startups in Louisiana.

For more information, visit fuelouisiana.org.