MGCCC and Career Coaches Power Workforce Development on Gulf Coast

Partnership helps connect Mississippians with great careers in growing industries 

A thriving partnership between high school career coaches and Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College is connecting new generations of Mississippians with rewarding careers in the state’s busiest manufacturing region. 

“With Jackson County being No. 1 in manufacturing, we have a lot of opportunities when it comes to career and technical education, and those options are endless at MGCCC,” said Shirrell Williams, a career coach at East Central High School in Hurley. “Our partnership ensures that we’re in the know about their programs and offerings, which is very beneficial for students.”

The Gulf Coast was among the first areas in Mississippi to deploy career coaches into high schools when Jackson County launched P3, or “Passion, Purpose, Paycheck.” After seeing the program’s positive impact, the State Legislature voted to expand the model statewide through AccelerateMS, the state’s lead workforce development office.

Over the past two years, AccelerateMS has deployed nearly 180 career coaches as part of a strategy to boost college and career readiness. Career coaches work with students to chart career paths based on their goals and interests while building relationships with local employers to provide jobs, internships, job shadows and networking opportunities.

"The addition of career coaches at the high schools is one of the best ideas that I've seen implemented in my 24 years in education," said Dr. Brad Bailey, associate vice president of Enrollment Strategy & Communication at MGCCC. "Career coaches are sharing our programs with the students who can benefit the most from them, and they have become our best conduits for sharing opportunities and possibilities with our youth."

Bailey noted that the average manufacturing job in Mississippi pays about $58,000 a year, but in Jackson County, the average is closer to $79,000. MGCCC has multiple programs designed to prepare students for manufacturing jobs in growing fields such as instrumentation and controls technology, automation technology and process operations technology. 

"MGCCC leverages various grants to offer tuition-free opportunities in programs such as commercial driver's license training, coding, and drone technology programs."

“Not all of our students are going to a four-year university,” Williams said. “By completing a career and technical program, they have their pick of high-paying professions in a variety of industries. One student is going into culinary training in the fall and wants to open her own restaurant one day. MGCCC is doing a fantastic job of partnering with business and industry to meet their needs and create great career pathways for students.”

To familiarize career coaches with the college, MGCCC organizes an annual summer bus tour of campuses in its four-county service area, including classrooms, dorms, athletic facilities, and career and technical education labs.

MGCCC also hosts the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce Education-Workforce Development Committee’s monthly meetings, where career coaches get information about upcoming programs, as well as helpful feedback from businesses, industries, schools and districts.     

“Thanks to our partnership, we learned that MGCCC is preparing to offer a dental hygienist program in the near future,” Williams said. “I was able to share this with a student who was planning to go off to college—she was glad to know she’ll be able to earn her license locally.”

Career coaches also help students overcome barriers to post-secondary education by linking them with financial aid and scholarships. Finding out that a post-secondary degree or certification is affordable and attainable can make all the difference for many students.

“One of the career coaches told me about a student who didn’t have plans after graduation and thought college wasn’t an option,” Bailey said. “When the student came to her for help, she told him about the MGCCC welding program and encouraged him to apply. The next school year, he emailed her to tell her how much he was enjoying it and how excited he was about getting his certification.

“Collaborating with career coaches has been one of the most rewarding parts of my job,” Bailey said. “It’s a mutually beneficial relationship because we’re both focused on helping students succeed.”

AccelerateMS serves the people and businesses of Mississippi by developing and deploying workforce strategies to connect individuals with transformative, high-paying careers. By leveraging resources and partnering with organizations that hold complementary missions, AccelerateMS effectuates positive change, creating sustained individual, community, and statewide economic prosperity.

Learn more at www.coaches.acceleratems.org/.