In "America's Hidden Economic Engines," editors Robert B. Schwartz and Rachel Lipson spotlight community and technical colleges as institutions uniquely equipped to foster more equitable economic growth across America's regions. As Schwartz and Lipson show, these colleges are the best-placed institutions to reverse the decades-long rise…

This qualitative phenomenological study thoroughly examines an art collective network within Mississippi's community colleges, specifically focusing on enhancing career preparation for students seeking opportunities in the entertainment industry. Through semi-structured interviews, this study gathered data from a purposive sample of six current…

The Mississippi Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training (MIBEST) initiative is a statewide workforce and economic development effort led by the Mississippi Community College Board and implemented in partnership with the state's 15 community colleges. MIBEST concurrently delivers career and technical education and adult education, targeting…

Hurricane Katrina reshaped college workforce development programs as thoroughly as it did the coastline--but in this case, the changes were for the good of students, employers and the community. This article discusses the effects and changes made by 4 community colleges who were effected by Hurricane Katrina: (1) Louisiana Community and Technical…

America and the South seem to have turned a corner on the deep and prolonged recession that started in 2008. The stranglehold it has had on jobs and job prospects caught many by surprise, and it has caused education leaders to refocus state policy on the relationship between career preparation and education. This report provides updates on the…

In Mississippi, the bulk of the responsibility to conduct workforce training falls on the community colleges. With the recent trends of large industry relocating overseas, layoffs, and plant closures, these challenges have become prevalent in rural America. Through the development and delivery of workforce programs to local business and industry,…

Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College's (MGCCC) long-term commitment to providing workforce training in a post-Katrina environment became a catalyst for designing short-term flexible educational opportunities. Providing nationally recognized skills training for the recovery/rebuilding of communities challenged the college to develop innovative,…

The community college has always played an integral role in job training but never more so than following the 1998 Workforce Investment Act (WIA) that significantly increased the community colleges' opportunity to join with others in the provision of job training services. With this, however, came demand for high levels of collaboration between…

The Mid-South Region of Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi as a long history of pervasive poverty and educational underachievement. According to the U.S. Census Bureau (2008), the poverty level of residents in the Mid-South Region is higher than the national average. Consequently, many of the region's best and brightest students of all…

This 2000-2001 annual report from the Mississippi State Board for Community and Junior Colleges includes information on enrollment trends, revenue by source, expenditure by function, adult basic education (ABE) participation levels, ABE participant achievements, ABE cost effectiveness, workforce education data, workforce accountability summary…

In 1994, the Mississippi legislature enacted the Workforce Education Act, Senate Bill 2955, which called for the creation of One-Stop Career Centers affiliated with each community college district. The mission of the One-Stop Career Centers was to provide assessment, training, and placement services to individuals needing training, retraining, and…

State governments across the nation are engaging community colleges as cornerstones of their comprehensive economic development strategies. This executive summary summarizes the efforts of 10 states, recommended by national experts, to deploy community colleges in support of state economic development priorities. The 10 states are: Florida,…

State governments across the nation are engaging community colleges as cornerstones of their comprehensive economic development strategies. This report summarizes the efforts of 10 states, recommended by national experts, to deploy community colleges in support of state economic development priorities. The 10 states are: Florida, Mississippi,…

Describes the formation of Mississippi's community college system, indicating that it is the largest single sector of the state's postsecondary education system. Reviews the colleges' role in workforce training and economic development and their provision of advanced technology centers and distance learning. Discusses the future of the system. (27…

This document is intended to reflect the commitment of the Mississippi State Board for Community and Junior Colleges to effectively coordinate its community college system. A brief history of the board, along with a description of its powers and duties, are given. Information about the state's community and junior colleges is provided in the…