Scholarship funds raised for Pearl River Community College’s programs
Since 1989 Leadership Pinebelt in Hattiesburg has been bringing together members of the community to serve as a catalyst for increasing diversity among future leaders and to focus on ways of improving the community. Sponsored by the Area Development Partnership (ADP), each yearly class of 20 members is divided into three groups who choose some type of community initiative. This year, one group chose to promote the Bridge to Boots program of Pearl River Community College’s Workforce Training Center.
“We got together in a room for hours to come up with a project,” said Kelsey Mathis, a member of the group. “The ADP had done a needs assessment that showed a need for fostering non-credit education. We launched a community-driven fundraising campaign to provide scholarships for individuals seeking technical certifications and vocational training and to bring awareness to the Bridge Center. We believe that’s a critical step in building a stronger, more resilient local economy.”
Mathis, who serves as corporate compliance officer at Forrest General Hospital, said the group found there are no scholarships available for this type of education and wanted to break that barrier.
This Leadership group consists of Sara Hathorn, Bank First; Alison Webster, University of Southern Mississippi’s DuBard School; Cierra Boddie, Mississippi Child Protective Services; JaShawn Baxter, Mississippi Power; Logan Miller, Gulf State Commercial Properties; Laura Laughlin, University of Southern Mississippi; and Mathis.
“The Bridge to Boots project led by members of this year’s Leadership Pinebelt Class does two really powerful things. First, It creates a workforce training scholarship account that fills a gap in resources available to noncredit learners who need to complete training in order to get to work in a good sustainable wage job. Second, it amplifies community awareness of PRCC’s innovative Bridge Center initiative,” said Rebecca Ellis Brown, Ph.D., Dean of Workforce, Economic Development, and Adult Education at PRCC.
Currently, the classes meet in the Woodall Building in the local industrial park. The college is working with regional, state, and federal partners to convert a local warehouse into an accessible adult and workforce education training center in the heart of downtown Hattiesburg.
“The work of the Bridge to Boots team to engage the community directly in support of the PRCC Bridge Center project takes the message further than we could easily do alone without these generous local professionals and their employers” said Brown. “They are volunteering their time and energy to support something that could bring powerful change for generations to come by allowing people to build their futures by literally putting their boots to the ground.”
The dean points out that PRCC’s trades programs continue to grow in demand for both prospective students and the local companies that need qualified people. “You can’t function in the construction, manufacturing, shipbuilding, and energy sectors without qualified technical workers, but to enter those fields without related training and a supportive network can be a daunting or even impossible task for many people,” she said.
The school is seeing a lot of interest in welding, construction, plumbing, electrical, forklift and just about anything where people can use their hands to create or improve something
As the Leadership Pinebelt class completes its work, PRRC will continue to form alliances to keep the Bridge Center project moving. “We are currently working with Southern Mississippi Planning and Development District and AccelerateMS, with support from the U.S. Economic Development Administration, to get the word out on this meaningful project,” said Brown. “We encourage anyone looking to support workforce training locally and especially companies who want to connect with training graduates to contact us.”
The Leadership class helped raise awareness through local organizations such as Kiwanis Club of Hattiesburg, Rotary Club of Hattiesburg, Optimist Club of Hattiesburg, Hattiesburg Board of Realtors, a segment on WDAM TV, and a segment on SuperTalk Radio with Dr. Brown.
“We delivered the message that with their support, we can ensure that cost is not a barrier for those seeking to build better futures through skilled employment. We feel we’ve kickstarted the project and we’ve partnered with PRCC’s Foundation to continue supporting it,” said Mathis.