JACKSON, Miss. — Starting this fall, more Mississippi high school students will receive personalized guidance to help them navigate their future careers, thanks to an expanded team of career coaches stationed across the state.
Through a strategic statewide initiative, 209 career coaches will be serving students in 204 schools, serving as a crucial bridge between the classroom and the workforce. These coaches help students uncover high-value career pathways that align with their individual skills and interests, while also engaging with industry leaders to create real-world opportunities like job shadowing, internships, training programs, and employment.
“Every student in Mississippi deserves a clear pathway to a fulfilling and lucrative career, and our career coaches are making that vision a reality,” said Blaise King, Director of Workforce Innovation at AccelerateMS. “With strong backing from policymakers, educators, and the business community, this program has the potential to drive long-term economic growth in every region of the state—from the Delta to the Gulf Coast.”
Administered by AccelerateMS, grants have been awarded to six regional development organizations. These entities are tasked with recruiting, hiring, and placing coaches in districts within their respective service areas. Rooted in ensuring students are exposed, prepared, and connected to career avenues within and beyond the classroom setting, these coaches act as vital liaisons between schools, students, and employers.
These numbers reflect the tangible, statewide impact of Mississippi’s investment in career readiness. Over the 2024–2025 school year, career coaches facilitated just over 50,000 one-on-one student interactions to assess aptitudes and explore career pathways, along with close to 360,000 total group engagements. They held slightly more than 20,000 in-depth planning sessions with students about their post-secondary goals and created a bit more than 5,000 job shadowing opportunities to provide real-world exposure. Additionally, nearly 2,500 job applications were submitted with coaches’ support, and approximately 2,000 guest speakers were brought into classrooms to share industry insights. Coaches have also become crucial in advising parents, with over 3,300 conversations taking place to reinforce career planning at home.
These efforts signal a deeper shift in how Mississippi is preparing its young people—not just for jobs, but for meaningful, purpose-driven careers.
AccelerateMS serves the people and businesses of Mississippi by developing and deploying workforce strategies to connect individuals with transformative, high-paying careers. By leveraging resources and partnering with organizations that hold complementary missions, AccelerateMS effectuates positive change, creating sustained individual, community, and statewide economic prosperity.
