Hundreds of skilled labor jobs are available across Mississippi, but experts say there are not enough workers to fill those positions. The Mississippi Economic Council has proposed a plan that would incentivize new workers, and potentially draw more businesses into the state.
“It is education workforce development skills training, it is talent retention and attraction. How does our infrastructure play a role? Economic development business climate, and then of course healthcare,” says Scott Waller, President and CEO of MEC.
Waller says a new report incorporates findings from 51 focus groups spread across 18 counties.
“Every one of those has some factor of having an impact on our workforce, having an impact on our economy.”
Mississippi lawmakers previously passed a bill to create the Office of Workforce Development, also known as Accelerate Mississippi. The agency is working with community colleges and businesses across the state to foster programs that can train workers and fill jobs that are empty. Senator David Parker, who chairs the Economic and Workforce Development Committee, says addressing education can help work towards many of the goals put forth by the economic council.
“Also the infrastructure incudes the proper training facilities for these trades to be taught,” says Parker. “So if you have a place where you can train doctors, you can have more doctors. If you have a place and tools to train welders, you can have more welders. If you’re just telling people that welding is a good job without a training facility to do that, then we’re not really effectively getting the job done.”
Lawmakers say the state must take a varied approach to job growth, to build the workforce in the short term as well as over the coming years.
