State invests in workforce training programs at Northwest

We expect a groundbreaking event will take place soon for a new workforce and career-technical education center at Northwest Mississippi Community College’s DeSoto Center campus in Southaven.  Wednesday, May 17, Gov. Tate Reeves announced that the State of Mississippi was investing  $3.5 million into the Northwest Mississippi Community College’s Concourse Workforce Training Center.

The funding will be used to develop new programs that focus on training Mississippians for the jobs of the future. These new training programs will focus on areas such as robotics, automation and controls engineering, mechatronics, and industrial maintenance.

“We’ve made record investment into workforce development and because of that, Mississippi has the lowest unemployment rate in our state’s history,” said Gov. Reeves. “This investment will help train students on the complex technical skills needed to pursue careers that are in high demand and pay above average wages. Programs like these are attracting new businesses and new investment to our state, and they are a major reason why Mississippi has momentum.”

The programs will train 136 Mississippians per year and help support occupations in a range of industries including manufacturing, electric vehicle development, automotive, and more.

Since Gov. Reeves signed legislation creating the Office of Workforce Development, also known as Accelerate Mississippi, the office has awarded almost $44 million to 84 new and expanding programs to help train Mississippians for high-demand, good-paying jobs.

The center being built on the Southaven campus is being built at a cost of about $13 million. The school recently received $7 million from the federal Economic Development Administration. State, DeSoto County, and institutional funding is covering the remainder of the funds.