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Industry to Industry Meeting
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On May 9th a working lunch was held with local plant managers and HR personnel to learn about the benefits of ACT Work Ready Communities website during the second quarter industry to industry meeting. Slade Redwine, Workforce Development Coordinator with Holmes Community College facilitated the meeting demonstrating to employers how to verify a WorkKeys certificate, how to read
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test scores and how to find and use job profiles for their open positions. Both Choctaw and Webster counties have met 100% of their ACT Work Ready Community goals. An announcement will be made soon celebrating this accomplishment.
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Workforce Committee Leading Initiatives
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For the second time in the past 6 months, community leaders, K12 education representatives, community college personnel, HR managers and others have met together to discuss implementation of workforce initiatives and programs into the Choctaw and Webster communities.
The Workforce Committee is giving feedback and generating ideas on how to reach the local community to promote the availability of workforce development resources locally in each county. The committee will supply certificates to all high school seniors who achieved silver or above on the ACT Workkeys at high school award days starting in 2020. To promote and launch Choctaw and Webster counties becoming certified ACT Work Ready Communities, the committee decided to produce a video promoting all of the workforce resources being offered in the area and give employers an opportunity to convey their hiring requirements to job seekers.
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Aspire Presentations given to MDA
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Choctaw and Webster counties participated in the MDA Aspire program in 2018-2019. Each leadership team from the two counties were tasked with implementing and completing a community project.
Webster County (top 2 photos below) presented to Chance McDavid and Ellen Bordeaux at the end of April on their project, YES! Youth Empowerment Solutions focused on developing the soft skills of high school students. Ten students from the Webster County Career and Technical Center participated in the program and performed 60 hours of employment with local manufacturer's, retail employers and the city works department to gain work experience. The program was a success and will be implemented in the Fall of 2019 with a larger class of participants. Webster County Aspire participants will graduate from the program in December 2019. Team members include: Kelly Powell (presenting in photos below), Lisa Stewart, Michael Kolb, Melissa Vaughan, Chad Winter and Mayor Lamar Dumas.
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Choctaw County presented their final community project Track on Over to Ackerman at the MDA Aspire graduation ceremony on March 28. The Choctaw County project focused on beautification and marketing the Town of Ackerman to increase visitors to the community to boost sales tax revenue. The Aspire team was successful in partnering and leading a $10,000 landscaping project in Downtown Ackerman. The team is continuing to meet after completing their project for MDA to continue landscaping different areas of town and working to erect a mural. Team members include: Deanie Graves (presenting in the bottom photo), Juliette Ashford, Mayor Tim Cutts, Juli Hughes, Donna McKay, Amanda McBride, Glen Blaine, Mitzi Lawrence and Lara Bowman.
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Bowman Graduates from TVA Workforce Institute
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Lara Bowman, Executive Director, of The Enterprise of Mississippi, recently graduated from TVA’s Valley Workforce Institute. The Valley Workforce Institute, developed and sponsored by TVA Economic Development, is designed to assist economic developers in understanding and selling their workforce assets and address talent pipeline challenges in today’s economy. The program is offered to community economic development professionals in the TVA service area to help foster long-term success. Click HERE to read more.
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Pictured above is Bowman with John Bradley, TVA Senior Vice President of Economic Development.
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Support The Enterprise of Mississippi
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The Enterprise is seeking external funding and kicking off a fundraising campaign. We will focus this next year on making improvements to existing industrial property and planning long-term to acquire new property for industrial development. We will take a closer look at workforce development in our area to strengthen training programs and access to resources for employers and job applicants to improve and expand their skill set. All while continuing to market and build relationships to increase knowledge of The Enterprise to external partners. Your support is needed to continue to build off the success of the last year.
If you would like to become a Supporter of The Enterprise please view our Levels of Support for 2017-2018. Contact Lara Bowman at 769-610-1795 or l.bowman@theenterprisems.com to learn more.
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Platinum Level Supporter of The Enterprise:
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Mississippi Lignite Mining Company
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Silver Level Supporters of The Enterprise
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For highlights and more of what we are sharing throughout the month follow us at:
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Use our hashtag for all things related to the Enterprise area:
#EnterpRISINGinMS
Tweet us using the hashtag now!
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