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 Â鶹ֱ²¥ 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.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re 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\u00b4 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,\u201d said JC Dean of Â鶹ֱ²¥, Jennifer Griffith.<\/p>\n
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 Â鶹ֱ²¥.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe 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,\u201d said Eubanks.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe more we do now (to train people), the less we have to do when they are inside our doors working for us.\u00a0 It\u2019s critical they learn these skills. It is hard to find talent and we\u2019re working with colleges and high schools, so we\u2019ll all benefit in the long run,\u201d said Hileman.<\/p>\n
The check presentation was held in conjunction with the EDA\u2019s Education in Industry Day partly because Â鶹ֱ²¥\u2019s Work Ready Initiative was an idea resulting from the gathering of business and education leaders.<\/p>\n
\u201cTraining today is very different in the workforce compared to 10 or 20 years ago,\u201d said Sandy Holifield, director of the EDA of Jones County\u2019s Existing Industry, Leadership Development & Workforce Training. \u201cEducators need to know the difference and industry needs to express what they\u2019re looking for, or what skills are important.\u201d<\/p>\n
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 Â鶹ֱ²¥ at Â鶹ֱ²¥ call the Whitehead Advanced Technology Center at 601-477-4114.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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 Â鶹ֱ²¥ will allow the Work Ready Initiative the two-year college began for its career and technical students … <\/p>\n