Accelerate MS awards $1.7 million grant to Pearl River Community College for workforce development projects, equipment

“We are incredibly excited to receive these grants to expand student opportunities,” PRCC President Adam Breerwood said.

On Thursday, Pearl River Community College (PRCC) was awarded with $1.7 million in grants from Accelerate MS that will help benefit local business and industry.

“I am so excited about this announcement today,” said Gov. Reeves said on Thursday at the grant announcement. “It’s all about economic development, all about bringing jobs to the state. I am so optimistic about where we are heading.”

$1,105,423.02 in grants is for advanced manufacturing and distribution support. This grant will help fund a mobile mechanical classroom that can be used where workforce and career-technical classes are held throughout PRCC’s six-county district.

It will also provide funding for a new truck to be used for CDL training in Hancock County.

Through these funds, PRCC will provide technical skills training for both credit Career-Technical programs and non-credit Workforce programs in fields that support the advanced manufacturing and distribution sectors.

Students and local employees entering training will be able to earn both credentials (manufacturing skills basic, NCCER Core, FANUC Robotics Tool Handling, and CDL) and career and technical degrees.

The second grant, $671,275.31, is for healthcare training. This grant will help support a new Diagnostic Medical Sonography program at the Forrest County Campus as well as help expand the ADN nursing program to nights on the Poplarville campus and help establish an ADN program at the Forrest County Campus.

PRCC President Adam Breerwood said that the $1.7 million in grants is “seed money for our future.”

“We have positioned ourselves to change the face of this area when it comes to workforce training. We are incredibly excited to receive these grants to expand student opportunities,” Breerwood added.

The grant announcement took place at the PRCC Lowery Woodall Advanced Technology Center in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.

Ryan Miller, Executive Director of Accelerate MS, said that the the ecosystem is growing and thriving in that part of state.

“The greatest example of ecosystems is right here in this room,” Miller said. “You have K-12, community colleges, IHL leadership, local leadership, state leadership and other state agencies that have been tasked with carrying the banner of workforce education. Pearl River is the greatest example of this ecosystem. This is what we want to see replicated around the state.”