Contact: James Carskadon

STARKVILLE, Miss.—A Tuesday [Dec. 12] event at East Mississippi Community College’s Communiversity highlighted the continued alignment of industry needs and educational opportunities, as well as multiple initiatives led by Mississippi State University.

The event brought together leaders from key Mississippi industries, workforce development, K-12 education, community colleges and four-year universities to focus on ways to strengthen Mississippi’s advanced manufacturing workforce. The event was hosted by FANUC, a major manufacturer of robots used in industrial settings.

A common theme among speakers was the need to provide individuals with a modern, and more accurate, perception of manufacturing jobs. Instead of a monotonous assembly line task, today’s manufacturers are more often working with advanced machines.

“Today’s manufacturing is high-tech, high-paying and can provide a living wage,” said Joe Baldiga, manager for FANUC America’s education and workforce development programs.

Participants were able to tour the Communiversity’s training facilities for machining and engineering/technical drafting. New facilities also are being established within the Communiversity as part of two MSU-led initiatives: AiM UP (Advancements in Manufacturing Upskilling Program) and the Mississippi Advanced Composites Institute Training Center (MAC). AiM UP is a Department of Labor, Department of Defense, and AccelerateMS-funded effort designed to strengthen Mississippi’s industrial base by establishing training hubs at community colleges across the state and giving university students access to equipment used at advanced manufacturing locations. Led by MSU’s Advanced Composites Institute, the MAC provides composites manufacturing training at an industrial scale, supporting industries in defense and aerospace that use composite materials.

Reuben Burch, MSU associate vice president for research, said his vision for the AiM UP program and other similar initiatives is for the entities across the state to operate independently but compete collectively to position Mississippi for success in the current and future manufacturing environment.

“As a state, we have come a long way and put ourselves in a strong position to, not only compete, but to be the envy of other advanced manufacturing training programs,” Burch said. “If we continue to grow our workforce equally across the state and provide relevant training while meeting industry needs, we can be even more competitive.”

Industry representatives from organizations like PACCAR Engine Company and Nissan North America shared how they work with K-12 schools and community colleges to ensure students in career and technical programs receive education that is relevant today. Ray Hollis, EMCC’s workforce business outreach and training manager, noted that the Communiversity’s training facilities are designed to be adaptable to changing industry needs. He said ultimately, they want to make more people aware of the growing career opportunities in manufacturing.

“We need people to be inspired,” Hollis said. “When we give people an opportunity, they will grow it.”

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