AccelerateMS, Mississippi’s lead office for workforce development strategy and coordination, recently announced its participation in FutureReady States, a national initiative by Lumina Foundation to ensure that short-term credentials deliver strong economic returns for working adults and state economies. Through this initiative, AccelerateMS will evaluate and enhance workforce training investments, aligning them with employer needs and labor market outcomes with support from Lumina.
“We are excited to join Lumina in this critical work around our state,” said Blaise King, Director of Workforce Innovation at AccelerateMS. “The opportunity we have to shape and impact the people of Mississippi, in collaboration with our partners at the Mississippi Community College Board, is invaluable. AccelerateMS wants to ensure that we continue to evaluate and drive a substantial return on investment, not only for our state dollars, but for the individuals that make Mississippi the place we call home.”
FutureReady States is being launched to help states identify, strengthen, and scale training programs that lead to short-term credentials—such as certificates and industry certifications—with proven value in the labor market. It will support 12 participating states, including Mississippi, through strategic planning, technical assistance, and funding.
States with strong action plans may be eligible for additional implementation funding in a future phase of the initiative. Lumina has committed $2.2 million to support this initial phase.
The other states participating are Alabama, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Louisiana, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia.
In Mississippi, the initiative will focus on opportunities that are high-wage and in demand to drive economic opportunity and mobility for our citizens. These opportunities fall within fields that are tied to advanced manufacturing, healthcare, transportation, distribution, logistics, energy, and information technology, to name a few.