Help build Louisiana's next generation of makers.
Louisiana has jobs waiting and young people ready to learn. ProFAB Education connects the two, giving youth hands-on experience with the tools and standards your industry runs on.
Built on their interests. Held to industry standards.
Every project starts with something a young person cares about: art, sports, music, gaming, their neighborhood. A student who loves soccer designs a sign for their team. A student into theater builds a set. Along the way, they learn the design software, the machines, and the professional standards industry runs on.
job openings across Louisiana in December 2025.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics ↗of Louisiana's good jobs don't require a four-year degree. Most need a technical credential or training instead.
Source: 2024 Louisiana Workforce Development Report, via Shreveport-Bossier Journal ↗of Louisiana's high school graduates finished with an internship, compared with 15–20% in Georgia and Tennessee. Too few pathways connect what young people love to where these careers begin.
Source: Leaders for a Better Louisiana, 2023 graduates ↗We build those pathways, one project at a time.
Rooted in a working fabrication shop
ProFAB Education grew out of the shop-floor experience of ProFabrication, LLC, a separate Louisiana advanced manufacturing service bureau. We pair each young person's interests with the tools, skills, and standards of real fabrication, guided by the industry professionals on our Industry Council.
K–12 students
Get their first hands-on experience with digital fabrication and design.
The QA
Our Fabrication Crew of high school students and young adults trains on professional equipment, builds portfolios, and helps bring projects to younger students.
Industry partners
Keep it all connected to real careers.
Know your next hire before they apply.
Industry Council members help train Louisiana's next skilled workforce, and get first look at the talent. Every young maker builds the 15 FAB skills employers ask for, from critical thinking to leadership.
Join our Industry Council
Set the skills standard, review portfolios, and preview talent.
Sponsor
Fund workshops, QA stipends, and at-home design kits.
Donate materials
Wood, acrylic, and retired or surplus machines keep projects running.
Host a visit or mentor
Show youth a real shop floor, and share your path with someone starting theirs.
Our mobile workshop has made 17 visits to 13 sites along the I-10 corridor. See the route →
What is the Industry Council?
Industry professionals who set the standard and own the pipeline. With 95,000 job openings in Louisiana, skilled roles like CAD technicians and machinists are increasingly hard to fill. ProFAB Education, with the support of the Council, connects industry with a prepared workforce.
Pathways and competencies we develop
What Council members do
Ways to engage
Why become a founding member
Your company's products become the curriculum. Your facility becomes the benchmark. Your standards help shape the state standard.
Know your next hire before they apply. Build the pipeline from the ground up. Be a visible stake in the Louisiana workforce.
Start a conversation
Or email us at hey@profabed.org
- What happens next
- We set up a short conversation.
- You visit a session or we visit your shop.
- You choose how you want to engage.
What to know about The QA
The QA gives your teen hands-on training on professional tools, guided by mentors who work in the industry, with a stipend for their time. Here's how we keep it safe and keep you informed.
Safety & supervision
Two adults are always in the room. Sessions happen in public spaces, like library makerspaces, or at your teen's own school.
Who works with your teen
Mentors are chosen for their industry skills and their experience working with young people. Every adult who works directly with youth completes a background check.
Permission & consent
If your teen is under 18, we contact you before they start. You'll sign a participation form, an emergency contact form, and a media release.
Photos & media
We take photos and videos of youth at work to share what they make. You can opt out on the media release.
Getting there
We offer a transportation stipend to help your teen get to and from sessions.
The stipend
High school interns receive at least $1,500 per term, and schedules follow Louisiana's rules for students under 18. Stipends arrive twice a month, on the 15th and the last working day, by direct deposit or a reloadable card.
Staying in the loop
You're invited to a family showcase to see what your teen designed and built.
Questions?
Email hey@profabed.org. At orientation, you'll get a direct contact for your teen's program.