Page 77 - South Mississippi Living - September, 2017

contractors and other industries.” Mark E. Scott, manager of resource
development for training at Ingalls, says the program is second to none in preparing women for career success in trades. “Ingalls Shipbuilding has hired several of their graduates and certainly will continue.”
Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College is a long-term partner of the Women in Construction Program. “The program shares MGCCC’s workforce training and economic development goal of helping coastal residents gain the skills they need for employment in high-demand, high-paying careers. This project is sure to generate successes towards the achievement of that goal,” said Dr. Jason Pugh, MGCCC executive vice president of the Teaching & Learning/Community Campus.
Ethel Williams, 38, is a recent graduate of the program and has been hired as an instructor assistant
for the next 18 months while she takes night welding classes at MGCCC. She was living in Jackson, coming out of a relationship and looking to relocate when she saw the Women in Construction ad on Craig’s List.
“I had worked as a line cook and as a corrections officer,” she said. “I had no construction experience. Through this program I’ve learned the basics and safety. It also taught me how to deal with barriers and has made a huge difference in my life.”
Williams’ acceptance into the program was three prong: she had to attend an information session, then
a work day, and have an assessment to determine that she was a good fit for the program. Now she is giving motivation to others and likes the feeling of touching other lives.
Two new factors are adding to the effectiveness of this program — an expansion of the training center,
which will allow space for more students, and the launch of the Strengthening Working Families Initiative. This initiative is a program of the U.S. Department of Labor intended to bridge the gap between workforce development and child care delivery systems.
“Child care is such a barrier for many women to enter the training program,” Kuklinski said. “This initiative, which will give stipends for child care, will make an incredible difference and have a huge impact.”
Carol Burnett, executive director of Moore Community House, said, “We have long believed that child care is a critical part of economic and workforce development, and this initiative allows us to put this into practice, changing the lives
of hundreds of women, while also helping address Mississippi’s continuous need for middle-skilled workers.”
Moore Community House | 684 Walker St., Biloxi | 228.436.6601
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Program making a difference in lives and industry
story by Lynn Lofton photos by James Edward Bates and courtesy of Moore Community House
in construction