Tuesday, Governor Tate Reeves announced the launch of a new workforce training initiative for Mississippians.
The ‘ReSkill Mississippi’ program aims to provide Mississippians with the opportunity to receive skills training at Mississippi community colleges in the pursuit of changing jobs into high-demand career fields following the economic hardships caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“While we are in the midst of a public health crisis, we are also fighting this disease on an economic front. Hundreds of thousands of Mississippians have been laid off during this pandemic. Countless Mississippi employers are struggling to make ends meet,” said Governor Tate Reeves. “ReSkill Mississippi is an effort to utilize CARES Act funds to not only get Mississippians back to work, but to get them skills training that will help them work in even better jobs than they may have had before COVID-19.”
The program was made possible through the allocation of $55 million of Mississippi’s CARES Act funding and it was designed through a collaborative effort from the State Workforce Investment Board (SWIB), the Mississippi Department of Employment Security (MDES), and Mississippi’s four local workforce areas.
“This program can have a major difference in the lives of Mississippians and in building a stronger economy in our state for the demands of tomorrow’s world,” said SWIB Chairman Patrick Sullivan. “Skilled jobs were in demand before COVID-19, and they will be in demand long after the pandemic is over. Getting more Mississippians the skills for higher-paying jobs is going to be key if we are to see sustained economic growth.”
A news release from the governor’s office outlined the goal of the program and how it will benefit Mississippians looking for work.
“The direct beneficiaries of ReSkillMS will be Mississippians furloughed, laid off, or otherwise having economic damages and who received unemployment benefits from MDES, as well as Mississippi employers seeking to hire Mississippians immediately and train them on the job. Employers willing to hire and train individuals in the workplace are eligible to be reimbursed for up to 75% of the individual’s wages during the training period. The program requires a minimum fair wage threshold of $15-per-hour for employers to be eligible for reimbursements.”
Individuals and employers interested in the program should go online to ReSkillMS.com to complete the appropriate survey.
