MISSISSIPPI CONSTRUCTION EDUCATION FOUNDATION

DURING 2024, MISSISSIPPI CONSTRUCTION EDUCATION FOUNDATION (MCEF) CONTINUED TO STRIVE IN MEETING THE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES THAT WERE INITIALLY ESTABLISHED BY ITS FOUNDERS MANY DECADES AGO. THE STAFF AT MCEF WORKED VIGOROUSLY TOWARDS THE FOUNDATION'S MISSION OF PROMOTING CAREERS, RECRUITING CAPABLE INDIVIDUALS, AND TRAINING A QUALITY WORKFORCE FOR THE CONSTRUCTION AND MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY IN MISSISSIPPI. MEMBERS OF THE MISSISSIPPI'S DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION; CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT OFFICE ALONG WITH THE STAFF OF MCEF, AND REPRESENTATIVES FROM ACCELERATEMS MET QUARTERLY IN 2024 TO REVIEW THE GROWTH AND SUCCESS OF MISSISSIPPI'S CAREER AND TECHNICAL PROGRAMS ASSOCIATED WITH HIGH SCHOOLS THROUGHOUT THE STATE. MCEF'S STAFF ALSO MET 3 TIMES IN 2024 WITH ALL 179 OF THE SECONDARY-CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATIONAL (CTE) CONSTRUCTION PROGRAMS TO SHARE PERTINENT INFORMATION NEEDED TO KEEP THE PROGRAMS OPERATING PROPERLY AND TO INFORM THEM OF ANY PROBLEM AREAS THAT MAY REQUIRE MORE ATTENTION THAT WILL ENSURE THE CONTINUED GROWTH AND IMPROVEMENT OF THEIR CAREER AND TECHNICAL PROGRAMS.ENROLLMENT IN SECONDARY PROGRAMS THROUGHOUT MS GREW DURING THE 2024 SCHOOL YEAR. MCEF OVERSAW 106 CENTERS THAT COMPRISED 179 CONSTRUCTION TRADE PROGRAMS INCLUDING 6,000 STUDENTS. EIGHT NEW CAREER AND TECHNICAL TRADE PROGRAMS WERE ADDED TO THE LARGE NUMBER OF EXISTING PROGRAMS THAT ARE RUNNING SMOOTHLY THROUGHOUT THE STATE. IN ADDITION, MCEF CERTIFIED OVER 25 NEW INSTRUCTORS IN THE NCCER CURRICULUM. MCEF STAFF ALSO CERTIFIED OVER 1,000 INMATES INCARCERATED IN CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES THROUGHOUT MS, PROVIDING THEM WITH THE PROPER EDUCATION AND TRAINING THEY NEED TO ENSURE A FRESH START IN THE WORKFORCE INDUSTRY UPON RELEASE FROM INCARCERATION.IN THE 2024 ACADEMIC SCHOOL YEAR, MCEF CONTINUED ITS GOAL TO PLACE MORE OF AN EMPHASIS ON RECRUITING AND PROMOTING CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION, IN LARGE PART TO SECONDARY STUDENTS THAT ARE NOT INVOLVED IN CT EDUCATION AND THAT ARE UNAWARE OF THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT THE CONSTRUCTION AND MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES OFFER THAT WILL PAVE THE WAY FOR A LUCRATIVE FUTURE AND A SUCCESSFUL CAREER PATH. MCEF GREW ITS RELATIONSHIPS WITH MEMBERS OF THE MISSISSIPPI ASSOCIATION OF INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS(MAIS) BY ASSISTING IN CREATING 5 STAND ALONG CONSTRUCTION PROGRAMS IN PRIVATE SCHOOLS AS WELL AS SPEAKING TO MULTIPLE SCHOOLS AND COUNSELORS ACROSS THE STATE. MCEF ALSO IMPLEMENTED MORE FACE-TO-FACE INTERACTION WITH THE NEWLY HIRED ACCELERATEMS CAREER COACHES THAT HAVE BEEN PLACED IN VARIOUS SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN MS TO PREPARE STUDENTS FOR THEIR FUTURE CAREER(S). THE IMPORTANCE OF RAISING AWARENESS OF CT EDUCATION TO THESE COACHES, AS WELL AS ALL SECONDARY SCHOOL COUNSELORS IS A KEY COMPONENT TO CHANGING THE DISTORTED IMAGE MISSISSIPPIANS HAVE ABOUT PURSUING A CAREER IN A SKILLED TRADE.IN THE SPRING OF 2024 MCEF ONCE AGAIN HOSTED THE SKILLSUSA STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS IN CONSTRUCTION TRADES. PROVIDING THE OPPORTUNITY FOR ALMOST 200 HIGH SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENTS TO PUT THEIR SKILLS TO THE TEST AGAINST THEIR PEERS AS WELL AS PERFORM IN FRONT OF LEADING CONTRACTORS FROM ACROSS THE STATE. IN CONJUNCTION WITH THIS EVENT, MCEF HELD THEIR SECOND ANNUAL CONSTRUCTION CAREER JOB FAIR AND MCEF CONSTRUCTION CAREER SIGNING DAY. OVER 300 HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO VISIT WITH OVER TWO DOZEN COMMERCIAL CONTRACTORS TO DISCUSS JOB OPPORTUNITIES IN THEIR RESPECTIVE TRADES. MCEF ALSO HAD TWENTY-TWO SENIORS SIGN THEIR INTENT TO CONTINUE THEIR PATH THROUGH THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY VIA COMMUNITY COLLEGE PROGRAMS, APPRENTICESHIPS, OR ENTERING STRAIGHT INTO THE WORKFORCE.