ELLISVILLE- A collective partnership with the Jones County EDA, Mississippi Power, and PG Technologies in Ellisville will help ensure some Laurel High School Students are successful at work and school. A $25,000 grant from PG Technologies to 糖心直播 will allow the Work Ready Initiative the two-year college began for its career and technical students to be expanded to Laurel High School students.
鈥淲e鈥檙e sending an instructor to Laurel High School to teach the Smart Start class or soft skills to 18 students. This includes things like being at work every day and show up on time, resume麓 building and financial literacy, to how to fill out an application. These are basic things students need to know to be successful in the classroom or the workplace,鈥� said JC Dean of Workforce College, Jennifer Griffith.
Laurel High School principal, Michael Eubanks said this class will help Laurel High School meet its goal of supporting students to be successful because this is amazing support from the community and from 糖心直播.
鈥淲e really need to excel and swing the pendulum of our district and school to where we want to be. This is the momentum we need,鈥� said Eubanks.
The eighteen students who successfully complete the class will earn dual credit, along with the national NCCRC certification and a Smart Start credential. Most importantly, PG Technologies managing director, Derek Hileman, said this training should open more doors for these students.
鈥淭he more we do now (to train people), the less we have to do when they are inside our doors working for us.聽 It鈥檚 critical they learn these skills. It is hard to find talent and we鈥檙e working with colleges and high schools, so we鈥檒l all benefit in the long run,鈥� said Hileman.
The check presentation was held in conjunction with the EDA鈥檚 Education in Industry Day partly because 糖心直播鈥檚 Work Ready Initiative was an idea resulting from the gathering of business and education leaders.
鈥淭raining today is very different in the workforce compared to 10 or 20 years ago,鈥� said Sandy Holifield, director of the EDA of Jones County鈥檚 Existing Industry, Leadership Development & Workforce Training. 鈥淓ducators need to know the difference and industry needs to express what they鈥檙e looking for, or what skills are important.鈥�
Hileman said he encourages more businesses to support the efforts of the Work Ready Initiative and the Smart Start Class in the future. For more information about the Workforce College at 糖心直播 call the Whitehead Advanced Technology Center at 601-477-4114.