Workforce Development

Learning to earn: Global skills through local excellence.

A labor base that is agile and achievement-minded: There are multiple reasons for the world-class success of Hancock County training, but the first has to be comprehensive quality of the Hancock’s educational assets, building a workforce with excellence that begins in pre-school and that is nurtured by high-performing elementary, middle and high schools, where strategic career tracking is implemented by the award-winning Hancock County Career and Technical Center (HCCTC).

At HCCTC, fourteen career pathways include:

• STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics)
• Architecture drafting and design
• Engineering
• Health sciences
• Hotel and restaurant management
• Metal fabrication / manufacturing fundamentals
• Polymer science

Avionics and robotics are also offered at Hancock High School, where students working with Rolls Royce engineers are competing nationally and internationally with their robotic designs.

2 + 2 = Fast start on life-long success: Industry-minded students at HCCTC who maintain the required grade level are guaranteed free tuition at the Hancock Center of the Pearl River Community College (PRCC). The first two-year public institution in Mississippi, with a history of leadership that stretches back a century, PRCC offers two-year Associate Degrees and workforce certification in areas ranging from precision manufacturing and machining to welding to electronics technology.

A local trainer accustomed to breaking ground: While Pearl River Community College is a valuable resource for prospective employees, for local employers PRCC is also a valued partner providing precisely targeted custom training in the classroom or on the shop floor—wherever, whatever the company requires. While custom training is provided through the state’s Workforce Enhancement Training (WET), at no or low cost to qualified employers, the Hancock County Port and Harbor Commission also sponsors industry consortium training through PRCC. And for services not available through PRCC, including industry-based training, vendor training or train-the-trainer, qualified employers may be reimbursed for costs.

Bolstered by a solid education and training foundation, Hancock’s agile and achievement-minded labor base is performance-ready, with skills and options continually enhanced by Mississippi’s resource network, including the state’s WIN centers.

Going for the WIN in long-term competitiveness: Mississippi’s WIN job centers, in linkage with community colleges, keep the state’s workforce and employers connected and working with top efficiency. The WIN job center in the Hancock region is a one-stop comprehensive service for businesses and prospective employees, providing recruitment and job postings at no cost, as well as other valuable services including on-the-job training that pays a percentage of employee wages during the OJT period.

Hancock County understands that workforce development is essential to companies looking to relocate here or existing industries looking to grow here.  In 2017, Hancock County was accepted in the Work Ready Communities program set forth by ACT, and a few short months later Hancock County officially launched the program in the county.  This is an effort put forth by the economic developers, business leaders, and educators within the county.  We all have a stake in making our county more competitive and closing the skills gap that threatens to paralyze our economy. Change starts at the grassroots level, by providing a community-based framework that:

• Links workforce development to education
• Aligns with the economic development needs of communities, regions and states
• Matches individuals to jobs based on skill levels

By participating in ACT’s Work Ready Communities initiative, we are helping:

• Our businesses and industries know exactly what foundational skills they need for a productive workforce – and to easily communicate their needs
• Individuals understand what skills are required by employers – and how to prepare themselves for success
• Policy makers consistently measure the skills gap in a timely manner at the national, state and local levels
• Our educators close the skills gap, via tools integrated into career pathways with stackable industry-recognized credentials
• Economic developers use an on-demand reporting tool to market the quality of their workforce

Frequently Asked Questions:

• What is ACT Work Keys?
• What is the National Career Readiness Certificate?
• What are Certified Work Ready Communities?
• What are the benefits for job-seekers?
• What are the benefits for the employer?
• What is my return on investment for using Work Keys?

Do you want to sign-up your business to show your support? Sign up here!