RELEASE:
Governor Phil Bryant Moves Workforce Training Forward with Approval of Senate Bill 2808
Jackson, Miss.—Job creation in Mississippi got a boost with legislation Gov. Phil Bryant signed into law today. The State Workforce Bill, or Senate Bill 2808, creates a new workforce training fund allowing state leaders to allocate dollars toward workforce training.
“My primary goal as governor is to make sure every Mississippian who wants a job has a job,” Gov. Bryant said. “This legislation allows us to put Mississippians on a pathway to employment by giving them the skills they need to participate in a competitive workforce.”
The new legislation establishes the Mississippi Works Fund, supported by the unemployment taxes currently paid by businesses operating in Mississippi. The funds will be used to train Mississippi’s workforce and to support the state’s industries and businesses.
“The Mississippi Works Fund will allow our state to be proactive, rather than reactive, when recruiting new business and industry,” says Mississippi Development Authority Executive Director Glenn McCullough. “A major challenge to economic development is fulfilling specialized workforce needs. This fund allows Mississippi to have the resources readily available to train a quality workforce and aggressively compete to win in the global economy.”
Under the State Workforce Bill:
· 75 percent of the funds are allocated toward new job creation.
· 25 percent of the funds are allocated for existing workforce and workforce certification.
· Training will be provided primarily through Mississippi’s community college system.
· MDA has the ability to direct funds as part of recruitment and expansion efforts.
3/21/16
Magnolia Tribune
