Brighter Futures Begin with HOPE.

Mississippi has opportunities to connect low-wage, low-income adults to quality careers. On Friday, one of the MEPC conference breakouts – “Moving Toward Self-Sufficiency: Preparing Mississippi’s Workforce” – focused on two promising workforce development frameworks: regional sector initiatives and career pathways.

• The first presentation provided background on the Self-Sufficiency Standard and the support structures low-skill adults need to be successful when they return for more postsecondary education and training.
• Jack Mills from the National Network of Sector Partners followed with a detailed description of regional sector initiatives, their structure, and common elements.
• Dr. LaNell Kellum followed with a description of Career Pathways and provided some valuable resources from the state’s Community College Career and Technical Education programs and curriculum. Dr. Kellum encouraged participants working in industry or the nonprofit sector to reach out and start relationships with their local community colleges.

Jack Mills’ presentation slide highlights the key characteristics of any regional sector initiative.

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Regional sector initiatives and career pathways continue to receive a great deal of attention in Mississippi, and momentum is building to strengthen the state’s foundation in both these frameworks. The upcoming Governor’s Workforce Development Conference will continue the state’s investigation of sector initiatives and provide several breakout sessions that focus on promising sector work for a variety of industries.

Author:

Sarah Welker, Policy Analyst