Reeves announces next phase of COVID-19 recovery

Gov.

Tate Reeves proposes using CARES Act funding for workforce training as the state recovers from COVID-19.

AND GOD BLESS OUR ENTIRE STATE.I ALSO WANT TO TALK TODAY ABOUTOUR NEXT PHASE IN OUR EFFORTS TOREBUILD AS WE COME OUT OF THISPANDEMIC.WE HAVE TO FOCUS ON RAISING THEWAGES OF OUR WORKERS NOT SIMPLYGETTING THEM BACK TO WORK.THE BEST WAY TO DO THAT ISTHROUGH WORKFORCE TRAINING.INVESTING IN MISSISSIPPIANS TOHELP THEM EARN MORE ON THE JOB.I WILL BE WORKING TO PROPOSE ASUBSTANTIAL INVESTMENT INWORKFORCE TRAINING FACILITYCAPACITY EXPANSIONS WHERE OURTRAINING INSTITUTIONS CANQUICKLY UPGRADE FACILITIES ADDEQUIPMENT TO TRAIN MOREMISSISSIPPIANS WITH SKILLS THATLEAD TO HIGHER PAYING CAREERS.ADDITIONALLY A NUMBER OFEMPLOYERS PREFER TO TRAIN PEOPLEON THE JOB FOR THOSE OUT OF WORKAND SEEKING OPPORTUNITIES.I WANT TO ENCOURAGE AS MUCH ONTHE JOB TRAINING OPPORTUNITIESAS POSSIBLE.FOR THOSE EMPLOYERS WILLING TOSTART EMPLOYEES AT AN ATTRACTIVEWAGE.FRANKLY A WAGE THAT COMPETESWITH THESE NEW FEDERALUNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS I AMPROPOSING TO PARTNER WITH THESECOMPANIES TO COVER A OF THEWAGES.DURING THE ON THE JOB TRAININGPERIOD THROUGH THE END OF 2020.THE BEST WAY TO GETMISSISSIPPIANS INTO HIGHERPAYING JOBS IS TO GET MOREMISSISSIPPIANS QUALIFIED FOR THEHIGH-TECH HIGHER-PAYING JOBSMANY BUSINESSES IN TODAY’SECONOMY.THESE JOBS ARE FOUND IN THEMANUFACTURING SPACE.IN ENERGY IN HEALTHCARE ININFORMATION TECHNOLOGYCOMMUNICATIONS IN LOGISTICS ANDIN CONSTRUCTION WE WANT TODIRECT MISSISSIPPIANS OF ALLAGES TOWARDS THE CAREER PATHWAYSTHAT ARE DEMANDED BY THE ECONOMYAND PROVIDE THE BEST PAYINGOPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR CITIZENS.I WILL ASK THE LEGISLATURE TOUSE CARES ACT FUNDS TO HELPTHESE MISSISSIPPIANS TO RE-ENTERTHE WORKFORCE.THE REALITY IS WE SHOULD NOT BELOOKING AT PLANS SIMPLY TO SPENDTHE CARES ACT FUNDS WE MUSTDEVELOP PLANS TO INVEST THECARES ACT FUNDS.I AM COMMITTED TO IT AND I LOOKFORWARD TO WORKING WITH OURLEGISLATIVE LEADERSHIP TO MAKETHIS A REALITY.TO ACCOMPLISH THIS WE MUST HAVEA PROVEN LEADER IN THE RIGHTPOSITION TO MAXIMIZE OURWORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL.BELIEVE THAT THE POSITION OFCHAIR OF THE STATE WORKFORCEINVESTMENT BOARD IS CRITICAL ANDI BELIEVE THAT THAT PERSON ISPATRICK SULLIVAN.PATRICK IS THE PRESIDENT OF THEMISSISSIPPI ENERGY INSTITUTEWHICH HELPS TO GROW MORE ENERGYJOBS HERE IN MISSISSIPPI.THEY ALSO ESTABLISHED THE SKILLSFOUNDATION TO HELP BOOSTMISSISSIPPI’S EFFORTS TO HELPOUR YOUNG PEOPLE ENTER JOBTRAINING PROGRAMS AND GET GOODPAYING JOBS IN HIGH SKILLEDTRADES.PRIOR TO THAT PATRICK WAS THEEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THERECOVERY AND RENEWAL AS WELL ASPOLICY DIRECTOR FOR GOVERNORBARBOUR COORDINATING RECOVERYFROM THE DEEPWATER HORIZON SPILLFROM FLOODING FROM TORNADOES ANDEVEN MORE THERE IS NO ONE MOREQUALIFIED FOR THIS POSITION,ESPECIALLY IN THIS UNIQUE TIME.I’M HONORED TO HAVE PATRICK HEREWITH US TODAY, AND I WOULD LIKETO INVITE HIM TO SAY A FEW WORDSPATRICK.THANKSGIVING GOVERNOR FOR YOURCONFIDENCE AND THANK YOU FORYOUR LEADERSHIP.THROUGHOUT THIS CRISIS LOOKINGAHEAD.AND EFFECTIVE WORKFORCEDEVELOPMENT STRATEGY IS PERHAPSTHE MOST IMPORTANT ECONOMICISSUE.MISSISSIPPI FOR THOSE WHO DON’TKNOW THE STATE WORKFORCEINVESTMENT BOARD IS CREATED BYSTATE AND FEDERAL LAW TO BE ABUSINESS LED AN EMPLOYER LEADENTITY TO DEVELOP STRATEGY ANDMONITOR THAT STRATEGY FORSTRATEGIC WORKFORCE GROWTH.AND MISSISSIPPI, SO THE MISSIONIS AS THE GOVERNOR SAID TO GETMORE PEOPLE TRAINED INTO THERIGHT AREAS.SO ONE WE HAVE MORE INDIVIDUALSACROSS MISSISSIPPI WHO AREQUALIFIED TO ENTER HIGHER PAYAND CAREERS EARN HIGHER INCOMESAND TO TO BETTER MEET THEBUSINESS DEMANDS THE DEMANDS OFOUR EMPLOYERS AND AND PROVIDETHE TYPES OF SKILLS INTO THEWORKFORCE THAT TODAY’S MODERNECONOMY DEMANDS.WE BELIEVE WHAT GETS MEASUREDGETS DONE AND OUR PLAN IS TO SETTARGETS MEASURE PROGRESS ANDWORK WITH THE MANY PARTNERSACROSS THE STATE TO ACHIEVE THISMISSION THOSE PARTNERS INCLUDETHE MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE WHOAPPROPRIATES AND DIRECT SPENDINGTO ALL OF OUR TRAINING ANDEDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS ANDOTHER PUBLIC AGENCIES THAT AREINVOLVED.INCLUDES THE SCHOOLS ANDCOLLEGES ACROSS THE STATE.WHO MANAGED MANY STUDENTS THATGO THROUGH OUR SYSTEMS?IT INCLUDES OTHER PUBLICINSTITUTIONS?INCLUDES THE LOCAL WORKFORCEAREAS ANOTHER LOCAL NONPROFITPARTNERS AND OF COURSE EMPLOYERSAND BUSINESSES ARE CRITICAL THEPOINT BEING THAT FOR MISSIONSUCCESS.WE ALL SUCCEED TOGETHER AS THEGOVERNOR SAID FOCUS GOINGFORWARD SHOULD BE AN INTENSEPERSISTENT FOCUS ON HOW WE CANFIND AND CREATE WAYS.TO GET MORE MISSISSIPPIANS INTOHIGHER PAIN OCCUPATIONS TO BECLEAR.THIS IS A YEARS-LONG ENDEAVOR.BUT ONE THAT WILL PAY DIVIDENDSDOWN THE ROAD AND MOVEMISSISSIPPI UP.I APPRECIATE THE GOVERNOR.I APPRECIATE HIS TEAM AND WELOOK FORWARD.