Co-Lin Strengthens Wesson Economy Through Targeted Workforce Programs

By Bob Arnold

Under new leadership, Co-Lin, through its Workforce Education division, is continuing its strong role in southwest Mississippi as the leading labor development partner among government agencies and private organizations working to shape the area’s economy.

This unique part of the college trains workers as needed for existing and new employers in non-degree programs, certifies people for jobs and careers to assure employers can draw on qualified workers and connects job-seekers and employers.

Tuwanna Williams, the former Director of Workforce Development for the City of Natchez with 20 years of experience in building labor forces, advancing local economies and engaging communities, has just come on board as the Director of Workforce Education at Co-Lin.

Williams says her priorities are streamlining the division’s activities, building relationships with the regional economic development players in the seven counties that make up the Co-Lin district towards supporting economic development and assuring students that they are prepared for real jobs, which they can find without leaving home if they want to stay in the area where they grew up.

Her first big event is this month – Co-Lin’s 36^th annual Job Fair.

On March 25 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Billy B. Thames Conference Center on the Co-Lin, the Job Fair will connect some 50 employers with 300 to 400 job seekers of all experience levels.

“Co-Lin Career Coach Emily Flessner, who is coordinating the event, has recruited a record number of organizations in a wide-diversity of businesses to meet people who want to work,” says Williams.  “We’re pleased to bring job seekers and employers together for this important event. With a variety of companies attending, it’s a great opportunity to network, showcase your skills, and explore new career paths.”

Williams says Flessner has been making a special effort to bring in employers beyond the banking and healthcare organizations that are mostly on hand at the event – especially companies in engineering and construction.  In addition to representatives from hospitals across the region and banks, Magnolia Electric and Dungan Engineering will be present with their people this year.

To make the most of their opportunity to connect with employers, Co-Lin advises job-seekers to:

• Update Your Resume: Ensure your resume is current, highlighting your most relevant skills and experiences. Print several copies to distribute to potential employers.

• Dress Professionally: First impressions matter. Dress professionally, even if the job fair has a more casual atmosphere.

• Practice Your Introduction: Prepare a short, clear introduction of who you are, what you do, and what you’re looking for in your next job. Keep it brief but impactful.

• Attend Prep Events: Prepare for success at Job Fair Prep Consultations, where you can refine your resume, sharpen your interview skills, and enhance your networking techniques. Consultations are available at the Brookhaven WIN Job Center.

The Job Fair is free to the public.  Visit the Co-Lin Job Fair website at www.colin.edu/jobfair for details on participating employers, sponsors, and event updates. 

With the Job Fair the primary responsibility of Career Coach Flessner, Williams has been spending her early weeks in her new job traveling the Co-Lin service district encompassing Adams, Copiah, Franklin, Jefferson, Lawrence, Lincoln and Simpson Counties to meet players in economic development – business leaders, mayors and aldermen, county supervisors and officials whose work focuses on recruiting new employers.

The immediate focus of the meetings is evaluating our programs towards making sure workers are prepared for jobs employers need to fill.   The programs Williams oversees, in general, provide training in manufacturing skills for people who are already part of the workforce and high school graduates who want to go to work right away.  In recent years, fiber classes in splicing, fusion and optics, Certified Nursing Assistant (CAN) and Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) classes and classes for would-be truck drivers and electrical linemen have been popular.  Always in demand are Occupation Safety and Health, CPR and forklift trainings.

In the coming months, Williams believes customer service training that emphasizes soft skills, such as punctuality and conflict resolution, will be, increasingly, wanted and she is also exploring building trades classes in plumbing, masonry, electricity and heavy equipment as new offerings of Co-Lin’s Workforce Education Division.

Beyond short-term training program adjustments stemming from her relationship-building with economic development stakeholders throughout the region, Williams also foresees longer term outcomes spearheaded by Co-Lin, including a district Workforce Committee and periodic roundtables where government and business leaders discuss economic development strategies.

A continuing component on Williams agenda for Co-Lin’s Workforce Development Division is Career Readiness Certification.  As part of the American College Testing (ACT) Work Ready Program, it conducts assessments of existing, emerging (high school graduates seeking jobs), and transitional (those who want to change jobs) workers in Co-Lin district counties and certifies if they are “work ready” based on a Work Keys training program.

“We want to help Co-Lin district counties maintain the work readiness of their labor forces – a major factor in recruiting new employers in their economic development activities,” says Williams.

Williams also talks about “streamlining” Workforce Education.

“We do a lot of things right, and we want to make them easy for our students and partners to engage through a web site and communication that are bigger, better and brighter,” she says. 

Specifically, Williams cites a user-friendly web site where information is readily accessible, documents can be uploaded or downloaded and there is easy and convenient registration for classes and other events.  Even brochures or flyers with more inviting and compelling graphics can make a difference, she says. 

In addition to its Workforce Education Division, Co-Lin helps workers acquire skills they need to qualify for jobs through its Career and Technical Education Division, which awards certificates and grants Associate Degrees to students who equip themselves for specialized jobs and career paths, and, in partnership with ed2go, offers online open enrollment programs designed to provide skills necessary to acquire professional level positions in many in-demand occupations.