Career Coach Prepares Noxubee County Students for Life After High School

Gwen Hughes raises awareness of workforce options and opportunities

AccelerateMS career coach Gwen Hughes takes a multi-pronged approach to helping students at Noxubee County High School in Macon figure out their lives after graduation.

In the 12 months since becoming a career coach, Hughes has invested time in learning the goals of her students, the opportunities available in the rural county’s business community, and how to bridge those worlds.

“It’s important for students to understand that going to a four-year college isn’t the only option that can lead to success,” Hughes said. “While it’s the right choice for many students, there are other options available for them to acquire new skills in industries that offer great jobs in their own communities.”

Hughes is one of more than 180 career coaches deployed into high schools by AccelerateMS, the state’s lead workforce development office. Career coaches work with students to identify career goals and map out plans to achieve them, whether it’s continuing their education, entering the workforce after graduation, enlisting in the military or pursuing a combination of options.

Hughes, a former 30-year high school teacher, earned degrees from Alcorn State University and Howard University and certifications to teach special education and science. She has taught students across Mississippi, from Holmes County to Kemper County, and now works with about 500 students in ninth through 12th grades in Noxubee County.

One of her focal points is working to build relationships among students and employers to raise awareness about in-demand job opportunities that don’t require a four-year degree.

“Students are learning about training programs where they can earn certifications and qualify for high-paying jobs,” she said. “I'm hoping that as a career coach, I can introduce them to different possibilities for the future that match their interests and aptitudes.”

In her first year at Noxubee High, she connected students with internships at the Yokohama Tire Manufacturing Mississippi plant in West Point that could potentially lead to full-time jobs. She also has met with industrial employers located along the U.S. Highway 45 corridor, which runs through Noxubee County and connects its residents to nearby cities like Columbus, Starkville, Tupelo and Meridian.

As business needs increase in the region, Hughes takes a proactive approach to establishing connections with economic development groups, company leaders and professionals across a spectrum of industries. She recently attended a groundbreaking for Huber Engineered Woods, a pressed-wood manufacturer that’s planning to create 300 jobs at a new facility in Shuqualak. She also arranged for students to visit the Paccar Engine Company in Columbus, where Mississippians are building engines for semi-trailer trucks in a high-tech environment.

Another key part of the process is inviting professionals to Noxubee High to discuss their jobs and how they landed them, including a pilot who talked about the importance of STEM courses (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) and a Doctor of Physical Therapy who spoke to students in a health sciences class about the medical profession.

“We're trying to connect our students to a successful future,” Hughes said. “It's more than getting them to attend jobs fairs—they need to meet people in different professions and see the types of jobs that skilled workers are doing in their community. I’m here to help them figure out what they want to do—and what they don’t want to do— so they can have a realistic plan after graduation that will lead to successful lives and careers.”

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/.