CMPDD’s CEO Clarke Holmes recently presented a check to Eaton Aerospace for participants who have been trained under the program.
Central Mississippi Planning and Development District, which serves as the fiscal and administrative entity for the Southcentral Mississippi Works Workforce Area, received a Professional Skills Training grant from the U.S. Department of Labor. This grant provides a unique opportunity for employers and their potential employees. The purpose of the Mississippi Careers of Tomorrow (MCOT) project is to train eligible individuals to meet industry skill shortages in the high-growth, high-demand advanced manufacturing/engineering and information technology industries and occupations throughout the state of Mississippi.
The MCOT Professional Skills Training program provides financial assistance to employers who hire, train, and retain eligible individuals in any one of a number of advanced manufacturing/engineering and information technology jobs. Employers select their own potential new hires. Training periods are relative to the occupation and skills to be learned and employers are reimbursed at the end of the individual’s training period in amounts equal to one-half of the trainee’s wage paid during the training period, with a maximum reimbursement per trainee of $8,500 for employers with more than 50 full-time employees and $12,500 for employers with less than 50 full-time employees. Any employer located anywhere within the state who utilizes any of the targeted occupations is eligible to participate in the project. The process is easy on the part of the employer and a large number of employers have taken advantage of this opportunity. MCOT training will result in increased technical skill levels of Mississippi workers so they can obtain permanent employment in the targeted high-growth industries and occupations that are the way of the future in our state.
Any employer or individual wishing to obtain detailed information should contact one of the MCOT Project Managers, Terry Hodges at 601-321-5443 or Mark Posey at 601-638-1452.
