In Louisiana, the Allen Parish Police Jury has taken an important step to support workforce development and professional training for its employees. On March 2, 2026, the Jury approved a policy providing pay incentives for employees who participate in Louisiana’s Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP) Roads Scholar Program.
This new policy recognizes the value of ongoing training and the critical role that knowledgeable, skilled employees play in maintaining safe and reliable local roads and infrastructure.
Under the approved policy:
- Employees who complete five (5) courses in the LTAP Roads Scholar Program will receive a $0.55 per hour pay increase.
- Employees who graduate from the full Roads Scholar Program by completing all ten (10) courses will receive an additional $0.56 per hour pay increase.
These hourly pay increases will also be adjusted in conjunction with future Cost-of-Living Adjustments (COLA) to maintain their value over time.
“Allen Parish has always taken an in-house first approach because we work with a limited budget and rely on capable, common-sense crews. We tried handling training ourselves at first, but we quickly realized we weren’t nearly as effective as LTAP. They’ve already built the foundation for local road education; we just needed to take advantage of it. Now we routinely send our entire road department to their classes,” Parish Administrator Jacob Dillehay recounts.
He adds, “It’s great to hear our guys discussing what they’ve learned after class, but what’s even better is when they reach out to us, their Engineer, and Road Superintendent, asking for the resources and tools they need to apply the best practices they learned in the field. Like many parishes, we’re dealing with workforce turnover due to attrition, and we need our younger crew members to learn from both our experienced employees and from LTAP at the same time to keep up with the turnover. This pay incentive gives the Police Jury a practical way to compensate our people for their commitment to continued learning and doing the job right.”
To maintain the pay increase after graduating, employees must continue their professional development by completing a minimum of 12 hours of continuing education each year, or at least two Roads Scholar courses (or an approved equivalent training) annually. The Roads Scholar Program is designed specifically for local public works and transportation personnel, offering practical, hands-on training in areas such as roadway maintenance, drainage, work zone safety, equipment operations, infrastructure management, and roadway safety practices. Through these courses, participants gain valuable knowledge and skills that directly support the safe and efficient operation of local transportation systems.
By approving this incentive program, the Allen Parish Police Jury is demonstrating its commitment to investing in its workforce and encouraging continued professional growth among employees. Supporting training opportunities not only benefits individual employees but also strengthens the parish’s ability to deliver high-quality public services to its residents. LTAP maintains comprehensive records of participant progress in the Roads Scholar Program.
The Louisiana LTAP Center looks forward to continuing its partnership with Allen Parish and supporting employees as they advance through the Roads Scholar Program and pursue ongoing professional development.
About the Roads Scholar Program
Through the Roads Scholar Program, LTAP provides cost-effective training to local transportation and public works agencies on road and bridge maintenance as well as roadway and worker safety. Roads Scholar classes are offered at convenient locations across Louisiana to make the program easily accessible to most local agencies. Each Roads Scholar Class offers 6 PDHs unless advertised otherwise. To become a Roads Scholar graduate, participants must complete all six (6) required courses and at least four (4) elective courses. While only four electives are required, participants are welcome to attend all ten (10) elective course offerings to further enhance their knowledge and skills. Learn more about it by visiting the Training tab on www.louisianaltap.org.