News

GAUTIER, Miss. –  March 6, 2026 – A welding competition on Mississippi’s Gulf Coast is helping connect students with high-demand careers in the maritime and manufacturing industries while highlighting the growing need for skilled trades workers across the state. Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College’s Jackson County campus recently hosted the Project MFG Mississippi Maritime Welding Competition, […]

  FULTON, Miss. – March 4, 2026 – Walking into the carpentry shop at the Itawamba Career & Technical Center feels less like entering a classroom and more like stepping into a manufacturing facility. Rows of machines, saws, and workbenches are clean and evenly spaced across the floor. At the back of the shop sits one […]

GREENVILLE, Miss. – February 9, 2026 – What started as an opportunity became a turning point for 11 local residents. With no guarantees beyond an interview, participants committed to hours of construction training. Many entered the program after years of working multiple jobs, hoping to find a career they could build with their hands and grow into long-term. Last […]

Why CTE Matters Now In Mississippi, the question is no longer whether career and technical education works—it’s whether the state can afford to overlook it. For years, CTE was often framed as an alternative to a traditional four-year college path. That framing no longer reflects reality. Across Mississippi, CTE is increasingly viewed as a first-choice pathway […]

SENATOBIA, Miss. (January 27, 2026) – AccelerateMS, Mississippi’s lead office for workforce development strategy and coordination, announced the successful completion of the first cohort of graduates from a new statewide talent development academy. The Facilitation Academy for Certified Excellence in Training, known as FACET, is designed to strengthen workforce learning across Mississippi by building high-impact facilitation and […]

MERIDIAN, Miss. – January 14, 2026 – When leadership teams from Meridian Footwear and Bloom, a sustainable materials manufacturer, met with the Lauderdale County School District, the goal was simple: create opportunities that help students see where creativity and careers intersect. What followed was a project designed to move learning beyond the classroom and into […]

PHILADELPHIA, Miss. – January 13, 2026 –  Inside an engineering lab at Neshoba Central High School, students aren’t just learning formulas — they’re designing, building, testing, and discovering what’s possible. From 3D printing and robotics to electrical systems and automation, hands-on learning is helping students connect classroom concepts to real-world applications and future opportunities. Supported […]

MONTICELLO, Miss.  – December 17, 2025 –  The Lawrence County Technology and Career Center agriculture program is designed to give students practical skills and a clearer view of careers tied to agriculture — from welding and fabrication to plant science and technology-driven work. Agriculture teacher and Future Farmers of America (FFA) adviser Carla Lawrence said […]

JACKSON, Miss. – December 8, 2025 – AccelerateMS, Mississippi’s leading office for workforce development strategy and coordination, has awarded funding to nine training providers to launch and expand basic skills training programs that prepare adults for high school equivalency while equipping them with the workforce skills needed for high-demand jobs. The following training providers have […]

Beunkka Davis, Communications Specialist   JACKSON, Miss. — December 4, 2025 – AccelerateMS, Mississippi’s leading office for workforce development strategy and coordination, is strengthening its statewide grants management capacity with the addition of Jackie Smith as Workforce Project Manager, Grants Management. Smith brings more than two decades of experience leading statewide, grant-funded, and workforce-focused projects, with […]