(1) The Legislature finds that establishing attainable workforce goals reflects Mississippi’s commitment to creating a source of skilled workers to address workforce shortages and build a sustainable economic future, which begins with investing in education programs that meet the needs of both employers and communities. Mississippi’s workforce development goals focus on equipping its citizens with the skills necessary to meet the demands of high-growth, high-demand industries. Such goals include the following:(a) Expand career and technical education (CTE) opportunities;(b) Align education and training with emphasis on Mississippi’s high-value pathways and/or priority occupations, as identified by Accelerate Mississippi, targeting industries with workforce shortages;(c) Address workforce shortages in rural areas;(d) Promote lifelong learning and upskilling;(e) Support economic resilience through public-private partnerships;(f) Increase access to funding and support services; and(g) Focus on data-driven workforce solutions.
(a) Expand career and technical education (CTE) opportunities;
(b) Align education and training with emphasis on Mississippi’s high-value pathways and/or priority occupations, as identified by Accelerate Mississippi, targeting industries with workforce shortages;
(c) Address workforce shortages in rural areas;
(d) Promote lifelong learning and upskilling;
(e) Support economic resilience through public-private partnerships;
(f) Increase access to funding and support services; and
(g) Focus on data-driven workforce solutions.
(2) Therefore, the intent of the Legislature is to:(a) Provide funding to the Mississippi Office of Student Financial Aid to establish a grant program for the purposes outlined in this section;(b) Provide tuition-free access to community colleges for enrollment in programs that are aligned with Mississippi’s high-value pathways and/or priority occupations, as identified by Accelerate Mississippi, which result in a certificate or degree, ensuring a source of skilled workers to meet the state’s economic demands; and(c) To gauge the effectiveness of this program by gathering data related to participation and employment outcomes.
(a) Provide funding to the Mississippi Office of Student Financial Aid to establish a grant program for the purposes outlined in this section;
(b) Provide tuition-free access to community colleges for enrollment in programs that are aligned with Mississippi’s high-value pathways and/or priority occupations, as identified by Accelerate Mississippi, which result in a certificate or degree, ensuring a source of skilled workers to meet the state’s economic demands; and
(c) To gauge the effectiveness of this program by gathering data related to participation and employment outcomes.