EMCC's workforce training

COLUMBUS, Miss. – Gov. Tate Reeves, in his State of the State address Jan. 24 emphasized the need to continue investing in workforce development programs. Programs like those at East Mississippi Community College’s Communiversity, which offers workforce training in areas like certified nursing, computer-aided design and maintenance. (Source: WCBI 01/25/222) Also at EMCC, the Mississippi Coding Academies, a non-profit organization, is providing tuition-free classes to students at The Communiversity College. At the end of the 11-month program, students are certified as full-stack junior coders with skills needed to manage websites on both the front and back end, which is the underlying digital structure that keeps websites operating efficiently. The certificate has been accepted by the state of Mississippi in lieu of an associate degree for companies hiring into the Mississippi IT field, says Chairman Mike Forster. Students can go directly into a good paying job or complete requirements at EMCC to earn an associate degree. EMCC offers associate degrees in Computer Networking, Computer Programming, Cybersecurity and Database Administration. Students in technical education programs at EMCC can transfer credits toward a Bachelor of Applied Science degree at Mississippi State University. “We are delighted to host the Mississippi Coding Academies here,” EMCC President Dr. Scott Alsobrooks said. “The Communiversity was funded and designed to host programs that train students for jobs today and the future and it provides a "skilled workforce needed to attract new businesses to Mississippi.” Mississippi Coding Academies also have two locations in Jackon and one in Biloxi. Discussions are underway to open another location at Coahoma Community College. Industry officials help develop curriculum and evaluate students’ coding skills to ensure skillsets taught match workforce demand. More information about the Mississippi Coding Academies is available online here: https://bit.ly/35o4agC. (Source: East Mississippi Community College 01/27/22)