Employer Services

Free Career Training

Better training builds better careers. South Central MS Works (SCMW) is partnering with Holmes Community College, Hinds Community College, and BuildMS to offer Reconnect Career Training. These free programs open the doors to bigger opportunities, better pay, and long-term career paths.

These specialized training programs are tailored to meet the needs of high-demand, high-paying jobs like electricians, HVAC technicians, plumbers, and heavy equipment operators. You will learn the skills and earn the qualifications you need in 8 weeks or less. Not only is the program free, you will earn $10/hour while enrolled. Paid internships are also available for some jobs.

CAREER PATHS

• Commercial Electricians
• Construction Engineers & Technicians
• Electrical Engineers
• Engineering Technicians
• Fiber Fusion Splicing Specialists
• HVAC Technicians
• Heavy Equipment Operators
• Industrial Maintenance Technicians
• Plumbers/Pipefitters

RECONNECT TRAINING

• We are committed to helping long-term unemployed (including students 17 and over) and underemployed Mississippians secure stable and well-paid employment.
• Reconnect provides access to tailored training programs in identified sectors including energy, construction, and advanced manufacturing.
• Programs are no longer than 8 weeks and include a $10/hour stipend for participants while they are undergoing training, prior to employment.
• Internships related to targeted jobs will be available. The internships’ pay will be based on the starting pay rate within participating companies, with a maximum of $20/hour. The maximum amount of hours for internships will be 320.

UPSKILLING OPPORTUNITIES FOR EMPLOYERS

Reconnect also offers businesses wage reimbursement options to upskill their underemployed employees with approved training. Wage reimbursements for 50% of an individual’s wages may be made for a maximum of 8 weeks, not exceeding $20/hour. A robust training plan must be provided by participating companies and the plan must be approved by SCMW. At the completion of the training, previously underemployed individuals must receive, at a minimum, a $2/hour pay increase and must be paid, at a minimum, $15/hour. To be eligible, participating employers must commit to employing unemployed Mississippians. Underemployed individuals currently making below $15/hour at a job may be eligible for an 8-week training program.

They learn certified skills.
You get highly-skilled employees.

South Central Mississippi Works can help you develop and fund a paid apprenticeship program to teach the specialized skills your business needs. Industry-Recognized Apprenticeships (IRAP) and Registered Apprenticeships include a paid-work and an educational component, and they result in an industry-recognized credential. At the end of the program, each apprentice is equipped with critical skills – and you get an
employee with hands-on experience trained on your floor.

Apprenticeships may be developed by companies, non-profit organizations, educational institutions, and trade groups. For IRAPs, contact your local WIN Job Center. For Registered Apprenticeships, contact the Mississippi Apprenticeship Program at (601) 321-6000.

PROGRAM FUNDING

CMPDD will pay $3,000/semester to offset apprentice wages for a maximum of four semesters. Pay should be a minimum of $15/hour. The program must provide a written notice to apprentices of what wages they will receive and under what circumstances their wages will increase.

REQUIREMENTS

• Written Training Plan The training plan must be provided prior to the beginning of an apprenticeship and must detail the program’s
  structured work experiences and appropriate related instruction. The training plan must be designed so that apprentices demonstrate competency and earn credential(s), and provide apprentices progressively advancing industry-essential skills.
• Apprenticeships must maintain a written apprenticeship agreement for each apprentice that outlines the terms and conditions of the apprentice’s employment and training.
• Apprenticeships must train apprentices for employment in jobs that require specialized knowledge and experience and involve the performance of complex tasks.
• Apprenticeships must provide a working environment for apprentices that adheres to all applicable Federal, State, and local safety laws and regulations.
• Apprenticeships must affirm their adherence to all applicable Federal, State, and local laws pertaining to EEO.
• Apprenticeships must offer apprentices structured mentorship opportunities throughout the duration of the apprenticeship that involve ongoing, focused supervision and training by experienced instructors and employees, to ensure apprentices have additional guidance on the progress of their training and their employability.
• Apprenticeships must provide apprentices industry-recognized credential(s) during participation in or up on completion of the program

EXAMPLES OF TRAINING

Advanced Manufacturing
Healthcare
Energy
Agribusiness
Information Technology
Transportation, Distribution, and Logistics
Construction

Free Competitiveness Review
Optimize your operations.

In manufacturing, there’s always room for improvement. We’ll help you find your operation’s biggest opportunities and obstacles. Through a partnership with the Mississippi Manufacturers Association, South Central Mississippi Works offers a free, one-day Competitiveness Review.

The Competitiveness Review is a comprehensive, on site, evaluation of your company’s operations that both appraises capabilities and gauges the effectiveness of business systems.

SCHEDULE YOUR COMPETITIVENESS REVIEW

• No-cost, one-day assessment
• Delivers a road map to improve competitiveness, performance, and your bottom line
• Determines your limiting factors
• Provides a snapshot comparison to other companies

WHAT WE’LL ANALYZE

Organization
Business Planning
Leadership
Culture
KPIs

Systems
Process Improvement
Supplier Relations
IT/Cyber Security
Marketing & Sales
Innovation Engineering
Quality Systems
Project Management
Industry 4.0

Workforce
Recruitment & Separation
Engage & Reward
Development & Advancement

Sustainability
Profit
Health & Safety Environmental
Energy
Maintenance

Internships build resumes
And your talent pool.

The WIOA (Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act) Internship Program is designed to help eligible individuals gain practical work history and obtain job specific skills while providing employers with needed services that can be performed by interns while on
their worksite.

Interns are paid by South Central Mississippi Works. So it’s a no-risk opportunity to work with individuals to see if they could be a good fit for your company.

WHY PARTICIPATE?

• No payroll expense: your intern is paid by SCMW
• On-site experience with potential employees
• You interview the intern and choose who to hire

EMPLOYER WORKSITE EXPECTATIONS

• Train and supervise intern
• Provide a safe working environment
• Sign and submit intern’s timesheets to the Employer of Record (SCMW staffing agency)
• Inform SCMW representative on intern’s job performance and any issues that may arise
• Consider intern for full-time employment at the conclusion of the internship program

EMPLOYER OF RECORD

The employer of record for all SCMW internships is a staffing agency contracted by South Central Mississippi Works. The staffing agency will be responsible for providing payment to the interns. Appropriate FICA and Medicare taxes will be withheld from the intern’s pay. Workers’ Compensation insurance coverage will be provided by the employer of record during participation in the internship program.

EXAMPLES OF TRAINING

Advanced Manufacturing
Healthcare
Energy
Agribusiness
Information Technology
Transportation, Distribution, and Logistics
Construction

If you have new hires, South Central Mississippi Works can administer and service On-The-Job Training (OJT) to ensure they get the job done right. Participating employers are reimbursed for up to 50% of the employee’s starting pay during the training period.

You interview and select your new hires. This assistance is considered to be compensation for extraordinary costs associated with training new employees. OJT is training conducted by an employer for a recently-hired, paid individual while engaged in productive work. The training time period can range from 160 hours to 640 hours, depending upon the occupation and the trainee.

Let us assess your occupation to see if it is eligible for OJT. Contact your local WIN Job Center to get started.

WHO QUALIFIES FOR OJT?

• Employers who offer full-time employment
• Employers who have training opportunities for new employees

EXPECTATIONS FOR EMPLOYER

• Train and supervise employee
• Provide employee with a safe working environment
• Maintain employee’s pay records
• Keep WIN Job Center Representative informed on employee’s job performance
• Retain employee after training period

OJT CREATES OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU AND YOUR HIRES

• Provides knowledge or skills essential to the full and adequate performance of that job
• Reimburses the employer of up to 50% of the wage rate of the individual