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The word “trend” is defined by Oxford Languages as “a general direction in which something is developing or changing.” We certainly see trends in fashion, social media, and home building, but the exciting trend for me to see is the trend of career and tech - nical education (CTE) gaining more attention in Mississippi. And we don’t need it to just be a trend, we need career and technical education for the foreseeable future. The value of CTE cannot be under - stated. Trends show the state needs more skilled workers to meet the de - mands of current and future business and industry. Whether this is in the field of technology infrastructure & computer programming, HVAC techni - cians & plumbers, or engineering technology & industrial engineering technology, our future will be technol - ogy based, and Mississippi commu - nity colleges can provide the training that is vital to keep our state moving forward. There are approximately 150 approved CTE programs currently of - fered in community colleges through - out the state. And we know that not every child will go on to earn an Asso - ciate’s degree or a Bachelor’s degree. So why not provide your students with an alternative option? Encourage your students and friends to enroll in a CTE program at one of Mississippi’s top-ranked community colleges where there are multiple options to earn a degree or certificate. It makes sense for Mississippi, and it makes sense for
maintaining a sustainable wage upon completing high school. An example of developing technol - ogy for cloud based services, Amazon Web Services (AWS) data centers are being built in Madison County and will require at least 1,000 qualified techni - cians. Holmes Community College is providing the first AWS Information Infrastructure Pre-Apprenticeship (I2PS) program designed to prepare participants with technology skills and information infrastructure. The data centers will contain computer serv - ers, data storage drives, networking equipment, and other forms of tech - nology. Another developing technol - ogy area is the shipbuilding industry. Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula was recently awarded a $9.6 billion contract from the US Navy for the construction of four ships, which are projected to be built one ship per year for the next several years. There will be many opportunities for a variety of skilled workers to see this multi-year project to completion and keep the workforce growing. Welders, fabri - cators, ship carpenters, electricians, plumbers, riggers, marine engineers, naval architects, pipe fitters, boiler - makers, and specialized technicians will be in high demand. The students and citizens of Mississippi have the opportunity to learn these skills beginning in high school and on into post-secondary education through technical training.
Kell Smith MCCB Executive Direc tor
Mississippi community colleges have the opportunity to increase the labor force participation rate that our state needs. In 2022, there were approxi - mately 91,000 students educated by Mississippi community colleges. Of those, 18,000 or 19% were on the ca - reer track while 52,639 or 55% were in the academic track. There were 4,284 Associate of Applied Science degrees awarded; 8,330 Associate of Arts degrees awarded; 3,045 tech - nical certificates and 3,260 career certificates earned. Some great things about community colleges are that it costs less than half of a four-year institution tuition and a career certifi - cate can be earned with a minimum of 30 credit hours and a technical certificate can be awarded with a minimum of 45 credit hours. Mississippi community college CTE programs can lead to high-wage, high-demand careers. These pro - grams benefit all of Mississippi’s economy, and I hope you will encour - age students to enroll in them! e
PAGE 10 MPE Journal - Winter 2024
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