Garrett McInnis, Executive Vice President, the Skills Foundation of Mississippi spoke to the Rotary Club of North Jackson at the club's May 25 meeting. The purpose of Mc'Innis' talk was to review the mismatch between the job skills of Mississippians and the skill requirements of available jobs and steps that are being taken to address the shortfall. His data showed a shortage of people trained in technical skills such as computer science, diesel engine maintenance and repair, electrical technology, instrumentation, engineering, and welding, and the available jobs in the state. McInnis cited SB 2564 passed in 2020 by the legislature that created an Office of Workforce Development in the state whose objective is to address the mismatch between worker skill levels and job requirements. McInnis' data showed that Mississippi has an excess of low-skilled workers compared to the number of low-skill jobs that are available.
Quoting from the Foundation's website, McInnis said that
- "Growing a skilled workforce is a high priority around the United States, and Mississippi is no different. Large and small businesses across our state have expressed the need for a more skilled workforce in a number of career fields.
- The Skills Foundation of Mississippi is a non-profit focused on increasing the skilled workforce in our state. We work to engage private industry, communities, and state leaders for true public/private partnerships to grow the pipeline of skilled workers for the next generation of Mississippians.
- By identifying the high-demand careers and appropriate training programs in Mississippi, The Skills Foundation crafts messaging to educate Mississippians about the opportunities available and connect them to a training program in their area.
- The Skills Foundation of Mississippi has partnerships with over fifty private companies, public entities, and non-profit organizations. We work with and on behalf of our partners to encourage growth in a skilled workforce, which ensures success not only for Mississippians but also for communities and our state as a whole."
We thank McInnis for his presentation to our club and for his commitment to helping grow the number of Mississippians qualified for the jobs of the future. He is shown in the following photo during his presentation.
McInnis' presentation and the complete meeting may be viewed by clicking the following link. https://vimeo.com/555685892