2006

I G~ I ;;,1 I L u e training center a 'baited hook' Choctaws, East Central Community College join forces. WEEK OF

B) BECKY (~JLLETTE l\IBJ Contributing \\ ritcr

the -,kill sets to tc.t..:h ''hat i" n~cded. the t1 ainmg staff ''ill customize the <.:urricu– lum to meet the need~ of this company." The Iri C offic.:iall} opened in mid– :\t,trch. and Hendrix didn't ha\e to wait lung for contirm.lllon of the importance ol the training h1ctltt). He recently met With represcntati\cs from two pro'>pec– tl\ e iudu..,tn~s. one from l~tac.:l and another from Cahfornt:l. and found the~ ''ere keenly interc~ted m the nc\\ tr..ttn– mg center equtppcd w!lh thr latc,t tc~;h­ tr.timng equipment. . "We ...pent h.llf of ou1 ttme talktng ahout \\orkforcc de,eJopmcnt." Hendrix ~atd. "It liter.tll) 15 the mi,~mg p1ecc. The~ ~pent mo'>t of thctr tune m the tr.unmg cen– ter leaming IHl\\ they could tr.lin employ– ec.:s. If there '"" an) douht ol thr impor tam:e of the trammg faclht). nO\\ rm a believer hccaU\C I JlN -.aw 11." The park . known a.., the Choctaw lndu~trial Park when it opened tn 1971. inilial)y hau ,t numhcr nf lnuu,tnes including a gre~llng card company and automoti\e \\ trtng plant. Employment dcchned as those industrie.., mmcd off– shore. The Choctaw Tribe kept some of the businel>~>C!>, and now operat('s compa– ntes m Mexico The complex "as expanded and re– hranded as the Choctaw TechParc (www.choctawtcchparc.com) in 2005, and has been fi lled in with high-tech companies m the area<; such a" information technology, aero-.pace and goo-technology. The movement into high-tech busi– nesl>es dovetatl!> with the efforts of the Choctaw1> to improve education for members of the tnbe to provide them

"ith better employment opportunities. ren }Cars ago. the Tribe hall onl) 10 member\ with college expc• •ence. A t·ol– lcgc 'cholarship progran " 1 launched, and today Choc.;taw college enrollment :n erages -lOO !.tmlents per scme!.ter. One of the n:a-.on' gJ\cn h} Kia for (kctding to locate a new automotive fac.:i li- 1) in Gcorgta instead of ~li\~I~Stppi rcc.:cnt- 1) ''·'' concem~ nlxxJt the a\atlahtlll) of an .1dcquate \\Orkforcc That undcr<.c.;ore<. the 11111>1>t1ance l)l ,td\ anced sktlls tr:11111ng m today\ manuf:~c1uring envinmnK·nt \\ lulc the center i~ lllC.:,lleu on the re en.tllon and the pnm.tr) fo-.u-. j, trauung for JOb~ brought to the re<;en a– lton m the 1echPan:. the c.:ollegl' can also help an) loc.:allll regionah::mplo.)et with .tc.ha11c.:eu tec.:hnieal training needs. "We can ho<;t training tor other non– tnhal busine,~c.,, a... \\ell •· Whttlock ..,,\lu . "Thi~ relationship i., de,igned to skill up the regional area workforce. Thi-. location gi\c'> us a chant·c to '>up– port employer" in domg that :' ~lany manufacturing job\ m the regton have been lost in recent year~ as johs have moved offshore. Whitlock -;aid the skill sets of people previously employed m manufacturing might not he a perfect match to what ,., needed by high-tech compames. "We now have the faci lity, trainers and equipment necessary to help transi– tton workers from previous Industries mto the new jobs that are available." Whitlock said. "We can convert those workers from the skills and knowledge they had to the '>kills and knowledge that they need. We have li-;tened to the \Oic-

One ol th

~t.Jte '' largco;,t pm ate

crnplo~er • the ft•;-•.,~•ppt Hand of Chocta\\ Indtan ha' combtned force' '' nh Ea:.t Central Communi I) College (ITCC') to open the I ntcgrated Tcchnolog11:s 1 r.unmg Center (ITI C) at the \ih'l" tppt Chocta'' Advanced lcchParc to~: ted n 150 acre" of land 35 ll1e tr..tlllll' • enter ., d~o:stgncd to pro– ' tde \\ode!)'' th tnunmg to prcp.tre them for htgh-lfX.h. h ' .::e emplo)ment · fhe .. oil e., tr• .11nm c nter being loc.ned m t._.c mtddle ol the technolog) p.u k i' a b.uh.:d hook tor recrutt tng." saill Rog~:r \\ httlock. dueLtor of v.orkfon.:e de\elopment :u ECCC 'The Chocta'' ~ Ita\ e attracted a couple ot mdu,tne' to the Ad\ anced TechParc bccau'e there was the ahtlit) on.;Jie 10 'elect and develop produ tt\C \\Mkcr" fhc college and tribe ha'e done a good thing in term~ of lunng ;ob, and cmplo) ers to the area. If the 'pcctfic v.orktorce is not available. then \\e can help .tcceso;. :.elect and develop it.'' John Hendnx , director of economic development for the Mi-.si,sippi Band of Chocta\\ Indian.... said the ITTC is a vital clement in attracting more high-tech indu~tries to the park. "\\e had the facilities. high--;peed infrastructure and land:· Hendrix said. "What \\C needed \\3'> the workforce development piece prm id1ng cus– tomized job training for any tenant in the park.. If the training center doc'n 't have LAKE MESSENGER

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CARTHAGINIAN

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SCOTT COUNTY TIMES ---------------- UNION APPEAL ----------------------- WINSTON COUNTY JOURNAL ------ SPIRIT OF MORTON ------------------- ------------------------- IMPACT

NESHOBA DEMOCR.AT

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NEWTON RECORD

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MERIDIAN STAR

CLARION-LEDGER