Tools to Thrive Building and Sustaining a Skilled Workforce A community is only as strong as its workforce, and from the looks of it, employers and employees in the Pine Belt have plans in place that will keep the region profitable well into the future. A signature piece of this puzzle is securing resources so that up-and-coming workers possess the skills they need to fill jobs locally. Understanding that workforce training is the key to economic prosperity, the Area Development Partnership
Photo courtesy of PRCC
BUSINESS PORTFOLIO
(ADP) has worked with community partners, such as Pearl River Community College (PRCC), WIN Job Center, Southern Mississippi Planning and Development District (SMPDD), the University of Southern Mississippi and other workforce stakeholders, to find out what gaps need to be addressed and what skills employers are looking for in job candidates. “First we surveyed local industries and manufacturers to assess their needs,” said David Collum an electronics engineering technology instructor in PRCC’s Forrest County Center. “Along with being a large university and medical community, Hattiesburg has a huge manufacturing base and those industries are seeking qualified employees. We identified immediate and long-range needs to train entry-level employees for manufacturing jobs.”
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