Manufacturing Growth in MS

Industrial Training

The State of Mississippi provides custom-designed pre-employment training, post-employment training, and upgrade/re-training services for new, expanding, or existing industries. These programs are available through the Workforce Education Program in conjunction with the community college system.

The pre-employment training program can be conducted at the plant site, at the community/junior college campus, in a mobile unit, or at another designated facility. Instructor costs are reimbursable and negotiated on an individual project basis. The length of pre-employment training is also negotiable, but typically conforms to the accepted training standard and practice of the industry. Costs for training materials in the pre-employment training program may also be reimbursed as a part of the negotiated agreement.

Services available through this program include:

• Job Analysis
• Assistance with development of long-range training plans
• Workplace basic skills
• Industry-specific pre-employment training
• Pre- and post-employment screening, testing, and training
• Customized skills training
• Total Quality Management
• Management/Supervision/Leadership Training (Zig Ziglar and Zenger Miller)
• Advanced skills training
• Custom-designed training manuals and multi-media training aids

Upon completion of the pre-employment training program, the employer has the option of choosing which candidates he wishes to retain for employment. The costs of the training programs may vary depending upon the type of training requested. The cost of each program is negotiated based on required training needs of each industry.

A program that can be leveraged with the Workforce Education Program is the federal government's Workforce Investment Act (WIA). Through WIA's On-the-Job-Training Program, the employer may be reimbursed up to 50 percent of the wages for new workers for up to six months. When participants complete the training and enter un-subsidized employment, the employer may realize additional savings through a tax credit available under the Targeted Job Tax Credit Program. WIA assistance is provided through the Mississippi Development Authority.

Workforce and Education Act

The Workforce and Education Act of 1994 was enacted by the Mississippi Legislature to develop a “world-class” workforce for the 21st century. This comprehensive program consolidates and coordinates the educational and training assets of the State to best meet the needs of industry.

To achieve this goal, Career Centers are being established at each community college to work with local industry in assessing needs and developing comprehensive plans for meeting these needs. Steps include:

• Job assessment resulting in accurately developed job descriptions and requirements.
• Workforce analysis to determine training needs for present and future jobs.
• Development and implementation of a training plan to bridge the gap between present status and future needs.
• Coordination with corporate management to facilitate the establishment of, or transformation to, a high-powered quality management organization.
• Combination of programs to ensure thorough, contiguous coverage of training needs without duplication.
• Identification and allocation of resources to fund and implement the programs.
• Establishment of a framework for a continuing education program within the company.