Page 33 - South Mississippi Living - April, 2020

JACKSON COUNTY JACKSON COUNTY
SCHOOL DISTRICTS
Receive 2020 Governor’s Award
School district leaders in Jackson County accept the 2020 Governor’s Award from MAPE.
A story and photo courtesy of Jackson County Chamber of Commerce
ll four public school districts in Jackson conversations to help everyone understand the skillset County and the Jackson County Chamber needed to enter the workforce. The team, under the
of Commerce Education-Workforce umbrella of the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce
Development Committee won the 2020 Governor’s Education-Workforce Development Committee, has
Award from the Mississippi Association of Partners in Education (MAPE). The Jackson County, Moss Point, Ocean Springs, and Pascagoula-Gautier school districts earned the award for their outstanding district and community-wide partnerships. The award was presented at the MAPE-PREPS 2020 Education Vision Conference in Hattiesburg.
In addition to the Jackson County Chamber, community partners include Jackson County Economic Development Foundation, Pascagoula Adult Learning Center, WIN Job Center, Jackson County Board of Supervisors, Chevron, Ingalls Shipbuilding, Get2College, Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, Singing River Health System, William Carey University, United Way for Jackson and George Counties, University of Southern Mississippi, Mississippi Power, and Jackson County Utility Authority.
The award-winning partnership focused on working together to bring K-12 educators, colleges, and the business and industry community to the table for
held bi-annual Education-Business Summits since 2015 to discuss a myriad of issues facing both employers and educators.
This team also worked together to help Jackson County become a Nationally Certi ed Work Keys Ready Community. It has served as a win-win, not only for the educators and employers, but for economic developers and the entire community, as it became the catalyst for a number of initiatives to help students nd their passion for future career opportunities.
Jackson County Chamber of Commerce President
& CEO Paige Roberts said, “We are thankful for the recognition, but we know the true reward is in changed and strategic behavior for the betterment of our county and its communities. Employers are communicating their needs and providing money, manpower, and materials
to help schools meet those needs. Educators, in turn, have been designing programs and trainings to graduate students of a higher hiring caliber.”
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