Dr. Jayda Spillers, chancellor of Northwest Louisiana Technical Community College, was the guest speaker at the Minden Lions Club noon meeting Thursday, September 11.
Spillers, a lifelong resident of Minden with decades of experience in secondary and post-secondary education, highlighted the college’s growth, goals, and workforce initiatives. NLTCC operates campuses in Minden, Shreveport, Mansfield, and Camp Minden, enrolling more than 2,000 students this year.
Looking ahead, the college has set a 2030 goal of graduating 330,000 individuals earning an average of 150 percent above the median salary of $27,923. Spillers said the plan places an emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion. “Equity is the focus on how old they are,” she said, noting efforts to reach adults seeking new skills and credentials.
NLTCC offers customized workforce solutions tailored to the needs of local industries. Companies may request specific training programs, which the college develops in partnership. Non-credit and short-term programs include nursing assistant, certified apartment maintenance technician, CDL, powerline worker, and jockey truck training, among others.
The college also partners with high schools for dual enrollment. This fall, 35 students are enrolled at the Minden campus, and 173 are enrolled across all four campuses.
Recent highlights for NLTCC include launching the power line worker program, earning re-accreditation for ATMAE and the Council on Occupational Education, beginning the AAS practical nursing program, and starting the state’s first plumbing technical diploma. The college also established the NLTCC Foundation in 2024 and was granted SACSCOC accreditation candidacy in 2025.
Youth programs include the annual Nuts, Bolts, & Thingamijigs Manufacturing Camp, which introduces students to the trades. NLTCC also works with Bayou Dorcheat Correctional Center, where female inmates recently completed a heavy equipment operators course. “They loved it, and some of them already have jobs,” Spillers said.
Expansion is underway at the Mansfield campus, where Spillers hopes to offer a registered nursing program. She stressed the importance of all four campuses working together to generate revenue and maintain operations. “If I don’t have a Shreveport campus or I don’t have a Mansfield campus, then I don’t have a Minden campus,” she said.
Upgrades are being made to facilities such as the Shreveport campus through grants, covering improvements to bathrooms, roofs, HVAC systems, elevators, and more. Spillers called the effort “rebuilding to rise.”
The NLTCC Foundation provides a way for businesses and individuals to support the college’s mission through tax-exempt giving. Spillers also encouraged those with trade experience to consider teaching. “I need welders; I need electricians,” she said.
The Lions Club hosts guest speakers each Thursday at noon at the American Legion Memorial Home, 119 W. Pine Street. The civic group is accepting new members.