Photo: DeSoto County Supervisors President Michael Lee presents Northwest Mississippi Community College President Dr. Michael Heindl a $1 million check for the county’s share in building the new Workforce Training Center on the DeSoto Center campus in Southaven. (Bob Bakken/DeSoto County News)
The DeSoto County Board of Supervisors Monday made a check presentation to Northwest Mississippi Community College president Dr. Michael Heindl and school officials.
The board handed Heindl over a check for $1 million, the county’s share of the cost to build a new Workforce Training Center on the DeSoto Center campus in Southaven.
DeSoto County News reported on the center earlier this year when the U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo announced the center would get $7 million in an Economic Development Administration (EDA) American Rescue Plan Act Economic Adjustment Assistance program award.
A new 42,000 square foot multi-purpose workforce and career technology education center will be constructed that will house instructional programs focused on workforce training and health sciences programs. Also, the new training facility will offer a standardized regional testing center and provide additional flexible space for instruction and training of students.
The total project cost is nearly $13 million. Along with the EDA funds, $7 million is coming from the State of Mississippi, the $1 million from DeSoto County and an additional $1.9 million of institutional funds.
The new center will offer courses focused on healthcare training, logistics technology, and advanced manufacturing. The education opportunities, career services, and articulated partnership with the University of Mississippi 2+2 Program housed at the campus has the ability to impact further and transform student lives.
This project is funded under EDA’s American Rescue Plan Economic Adjustment Assistance program, making $500 million in Economic Adjustment Assistance grants available to American communities.
