LOUISVILLE – The Louisville Community Saferoom, also referred to as “The Dome,” was the scene of a luncheon this past Thursday attended by economic development professionals, elected officials, education professionals and business leaders to acknowledge an ARC EMPower Initiative Grant in excess of $800,000.
The grant will benefit an area that includes Webster, Choctaw, Winston and Kemper counties.
With an eye on development of the workforce in the different counties, the grant funds have been used to purchase equipment and perform facility upgrades that are needed in each individual community.
Guest speaker Lex Taylor, chairman of the board and president of the Taylor Group of Companies Inc., spoke of a changing paradigm needed for today’s workforce development. Gone are the days when a company would hire a worker and train him on the job. Manufacturers, large and small, today are looking for employees who already have some degree of training, skills and experience.
The ARC EMPower Initiative will not only help to begin to train high school students but will also be used on the community college level, and for community members who might be out of work or are seeking to advance their careers with additional training.
Webster and Choctaw counties will be working closely with Holmes CC, Winston County with East Central CC, and Kemper County with East Mississippi CC in Scooba.
Lara Bowman, executive director of The Enterprise of Mississippi that includes Choctaw and Webster counties; Glen Haab, executive director of the Winston Partnership; and Craig Hitt, executive director of the Kemper County Economic Development Authority; all agreed that working together on a regional approach had been beneficial in obtaining the grant.
In addition, the grant funds will be used in the ACT WorkKeys testing program to help determine the level of skills that high school students currently have, and areas in which they might be deficient. WorkKeys testing has already begun in the different counties.
The luncheon, which was catered by Market Café of Louisville, was an opportunity for individuals from the different communities to meet, make new contacts and begin networking in an effort to improve the economic outlook for all of the represented areas
