NEMCC gets big boost for its workforce development training programs

Gov. Tate Reeves presented a 2.2 million dollar check to NEMCC from Accelerate Mississippi

BOONEVILLE, MISS. (WCBI) – The $2.2 million check will help North East Mississippi Community College enhance its truck driving training program by funding two simulators for students. The money will also help create another LPN class for future healthcare workers.

The funding came from Accelerate Mississippi, the centralized office promoting workforce development.

“We were creating this office of workforce development to insure that we are allocating our resources in the most efficient way to train our people in the jobs of the next fifty years, that may or may not be the jobs of the last fifty years,” said Gov. Reeves.

Accelerate Mississippi Director Ryan Miller said the money helps community colleges tailor workforce training to regional industry needs.

“Today is exciting because of the partnership in funding opportunities, you will see advances and increases in programs like CDL, supply chain, fiber, and some industries connected with fiber, these are funds to allow for more students to gain access to these pathways,” said Miller.

Governor Reeves said Accelerate Mississippi’s focus on workforce development is vital to the state’s future economic success and keeping young people in Mississippi.

“We don’t want to lose any of our people to another state and we want to create more opportunities for good jobs for more Mississippians,” said Gov. Reeves.

The event also gave NEMCC President Dr. Ricky Ford a chance to let the governor know about the college’s goals of a career tech workforce development center planned for a recently purchased former furniture plant.

“Our plans are to develop that, renovate it, and move career tech programs into our facility. We hope the governor will see this is a worthwhile project and help build it out. Our vision is to create a state-of-the-art workforce training center, along with a career tech center and conference center. We have a big vision and hopefully, the governor will help us get there,” Dr. Ford said.

For years, Mississippi’s labor participation rate has been among the lowest nationwide. Recently it was at 56%. That is the number of Mississippians, eligible to work, who are working or looking for work. The hope is that Accelerate Mississippi will increase that number, as more people are trained, not just for a job, but for a career.

Accelerate Mississippi now has a website, and eventually, will have offices in eight districts throughout the state.

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