§76. Forecasting

A. For the forecasting information component of the system, there shall be information on projected workforce growth and job growth and demand. The workforce and job growth and demand information shall also reflect occupational information related to those targeted cluster industries identified by the Department of Economic Development.

B.(1) The information on projected workforce growth shall include the number of individuals employed and the number of individuals able and available for employment at present and projected at a future date certain, both statewide and by geographic regions.

(2) Occupational information on targeted cluster industries shall include occupational requirements for those industries, training and education levels required for those occupations, and salary information.

C.(1) For the purpose of projecting job growth and demand, the Occupational Forecasting Conference is hereby established as a committee of the council. The conference shall develop official information regarding the statewide and regional workforce development needs of current, new, and emerging industries as the council determines is necessary for both state and regional workforce development system planning processes and state planning and budgeting. The information, using quantitative and qualitative research methods, shall include at least short-term and long-term forecasts of employment demand for jobs by occupation and industry; entry and average wage forecasts for those occupations; and estimates of the supply of trained and qualified individuals available for employment in those occupations, with special focus upon those occupations and industries which require high skills and have high entry wages and previous experience wage levels. In the development of workforce estimates, the conference shall use, to the fullest extent possible, local occupational and workforce forecasts and estimates.

(2) The conference shall review data concerning the local and regional demands for short-term and long-term employment primarily in high-skills/high-wage jobs, as well as other jobs, which data is generated through surveys conducted as part of the state's Internet-based job matching and labor market information system. The conference shall consider such data in developing its forecasts for statewide employment demand, including reviewing the local and regional data for common trends and conditions among localities or regions which may warrant inclusion of a particular occupation on the statewide occupational forecasting list developed by the conference. Based upon its review of such survey data, the conference shall also make recommendations semiannually to the commission on additions or deletions to lists of locally targeted occupations.

(3) The conference shall meet no less than two times in a calendar year. Other meetings may be scheduled as needed.

(4) The principals of the conference shall be as follows:

(a) The governor or his designee.

(b) The secretary of the Louisiana Workforce Commission or his designee.

(c) One person appointed by the governor from a list of three nominees submitted by the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry.

(d) One member appointed by the governor from a list of three nominees submitted by the Louisiana AFL-CIO.

(e) One member appointed by the governor from a list of three nominees submitted by the council, such nominees shall be three of the nonpublic council members serving on the council.

(f) Two members, each of whom shall be a faculty member of a public or private university or college in Louisiana, who shall be econometricians and have occupational forecasting expertise or expertise in economic planning and industry/occupation matrix formulation, to be selected by the other five principals of the conference from a list of not less than three nor more than five nominees submitted by the Louisiana Board of Regents.

(g) The secretary of the Department of Economic Development or his designee.

(h) The president of the Louisiana Community and Technical College System or his designee.

(i) One member of the Louisiana Minority Supplier Development Council.

(5) The chairman of the conference shall be the principal appointed by the governor from the council.

(6) The conference shall review and evaluate labor market data and information before such forecasts are finalized and adopted. It may utilize whatever staff, information, and technical expertise which it may determine is required to derive or revise the official job growth and demand forecast. The conference shall consider relevant national trends in policy and funding as well as state economic strategic plans and goals. Approval of the official forecast of job growth and demand shall be by an affirmative vote of five principals and the council.

(7) Once the job growth and demand forecasts are derived and approved by the conference, the council shall determine the strategies necessary to fill such needs.

(8) A final report of the top future growth and demand jobs, statewide and by region, and the skills necessary to fill such jobs shall be made available for access on the Internet and noted in the Louisiana Register as available on the Internet. Such report shall also be available for purchase by private parties for the costs of reproduction. The conference, in coordination with the council, should determine a strategy for promoting and disseminating the final report to the appropriate stakeholder groups as determined by the council.

(9) The chairman shall preside over conference sessions, convene conference sessions, request information, specify topics to be included on the conference agenda, and agree or withhold agreement on whether information is to be official information of the conference. The chairman may designate another principal to preside over a conference session, and in such instances, the designated principal shall have the same authority as that of the chairman. The conference may release official information of the conference, interpret official information of the conference, and monitor errors in official information of the conference.

(10) The chairman who is responsible for presiding over a session of a conference is responsible for preparing and distributing the necessary work papers prior to that session of the conference. Any principal may cancel a meeting of the conference if such work papers have not been distributed prior to the meeting. The work papers shall include comparisons between alternative information where such comparisons are warranted.

(11) A principal may invite participation in the conference. Before or during any session of the conference, a participant shall develop alternative forecasts, collect and supply data, perform analyses, or provide other information needed by the conference if asked to do so by the principal. The conference shall consider information provided by participants in developing its official information. However, the council shall accept and take into account information regarding the eight regional labor market areas from local workforce development boards only when offered and presented to the council jointly, as regional input, by all of the local boards within the region. Input from local boards that is not presented jointly to the council will not be considered.

(12) The report of the conference shall be issued on or before July first of each year, and shall constitute a five-year projection. Occupational projections will be based on the most current state industry forecasts as approved by the Occupational Forecasting Conference and the council, which shall be the official projections for the state of Louisiana. Conference reports shall be submitted to the council for consideration and approval, and the council may modify conference reports if it enunciates a reasonable basis for such modifications. Reports not approved by the council shall not be final for the purposes of this Section.

(13) The chairman of the conference shall have the responsibility and authority to oversee and monitor the activities of the Occupational Forecasting Conference. The conference shall be staffed by the staff of the council at the direction of the conference chairman. The chairman of the conference and the staff shall upon the request of the chairman of the council prepare quarterly updates of conference activities and progress for review by the office of the governor.

Acts 1997, No. 1, §1, eff. April 30, 1997; Acts 1998, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 70, §1, eff. May 1, 1998; Acts 2001, No. 782, §1; Acts 2004, No. 283, §1; Acts 2008, No. 743, §2, eff. July 1, 2008; Acts 2010, No. 5, §1; Acts 2015, No. 426, §2.