Today, I was proud to announce two initiatives to help further bolster our workforce development efforts and strengthen economic opportunities for all Mississippians. First, we are launching the Mississippi Apprenticeship Accelerator. This will be a partnership between AccelerateMS, the Mississippi Department of Employment Security, and the Mississippi Apprenticeship Program. This initiative will help reduce critical skill gaps and expand workforce capacity across high-demand, high-wage occupations. AccelerateMS has initially dedicated $2 million to this program and aims to enroll approximately 600 new apprentices statewide. I’m also proud to announce the first award made through the Mississippi Reconnect Program. This program seeks to engage Mississippians who are long-term unemployed or significantly underemployed through training that lasts up to 10 weeks and leads to employment in priority sectors by providing scholarships for registration fees, training stipends, and necessary equipment. The first award will be given to the Central Mississippi Planning and Development District which is a partnership between Build Mississippi, Hinds Community College, and Holmes Community College. This grant will be $4.4 million over 2 years and will train over 980 participants in classroom, apprenticeship, internship, and other work-based learning opportunities. Our state’s workforce development strategy is working, and there’s never been a better time to find a job in Mississippi!