Ferriday — A bill to fund much needed improvements at the Ferriday Shelby M. Jackson campus of the Louisiana Technical College awaits the signature of the governor.

Senate Bill 337, approved by the House and the Senate June 28, will release almost $174 million in capital outlay funds for 14 Louisiana technical and community colleges.

The Shelby M. Jackson campus is one of the technical colleges identified as high priority for projects allocated by the legislation, Campus Dean Mignonne Ater said.

The bill has a stated goal of improving facilities the legislature deemed extraordinarily vital to the state’s need for a competent workforce.

The Shelby M. Jackson project would include adding a new multi-purpose building on land the college already owns, Ater said.

The project would also include repairs to existing facilities.

“Our campus facility was built in 1979, and basically we have had no physical improvements or expansion since that time — almost 30 years,” Ater said.

The positive impact and opportunites the project will provide for the Shelby M. Jackson campus and the communities it serves are great, she said.

“The mission and primary focus of the Shelby M. Jackson campus is to provide skilled employees for business and industry that contributes to the overall economic development and workforce needs of the region and state,” Ater said. “The quality and dedication of the Shelby M. Jackson campus faculty and staff is second to none — we look forward to expanding and upgrading our campus facility to equal standards.”