Fueling the Machine: How to Survive the Shift Work Grind
We’ve all been there. The alarm goes off at 5:00 AM. You drag yourself out of bed, grab a 24-ounce energy drink and a donut from the gas station, and head to the site. You feel great for about two hours. Then, around 10:00 AM, you crash. You get irritable. Your hands get shaky. Your […]
Under Pressure: Managing Stress Without Burning Out
Let’s be real: An apprenticeship is not easy. You are learning a new skill set, navigating a new workplace culture, and often taking classes at night—all while trying to pay bills and manage a personal life. It is the “drinking from a fire hose” phase of your career. A little bit of pressure is good; […]
Safety First, Always: Why Your Decisions Matter to the Whole Team
We’ve all sat through the safety videos. We’ve all signed the compliance forms. It is easy to look at safety training as just “red tape”—a boring box to check before you can get to the real work. But in the trades, manufacturing, and healthcare, safety isn’t about paperwork. It is about physics and biology. And […]
The Long Haul: Turning an Apprenticeship into a Career
Some days, an apprenticeship feels like a grind. The early mornings, the physical or mental exhaustion, the feeling of being the “newbie” who has to do the grunt work—it can be tough. When you are in the middle of a difficult week, it is easy to forget why you started. You might begin to see […]
Navigating Obstacles: What to Do When You Don’t Know the Answer
It is going to happen. You are going to be staring at a machine, a line of code, or a blueprint, and your mind is going to go blank. You’ve hit a wall. You don’t know what to do next. Panic usually sets in right about now. You might worry that if you ask for […]
Building Your Crew: The Art of Finding a Mentor
No captain sails a ship entirely alone. To navigate difficult waters, you need a crew—and more importantly, you need someone who has sailed these waters before. In the world of apprenticeship, this person is your mentor. Sometimes a mentor is assigned to you officially. Other times, it’s just the senior journeyman or the shift supervisor […]
Stabilizing Your Ship: Budgeting Your First Apprentice Paycheck
Publish Date: January 28, 2026 There is no feeling quite like holding that first apprenticeship paycheck. Whether you are fresh out of high school or transitioning from a different career, seeing the direct reward for your hard work is a proud moment. It is also a dangerous moment. When your income jumps, the temptation to […]
Course Correction: Why Feedback is a Tool, Not a Trap
Publish Date: January 21, 2026 Imagine you are flying a plane from Gulfport to Memphis. If you are one degree off course, you might end up in Arkansas. If air traffic control tells you to adjust your heading, you don’t get offended. You don’t argue. You just make the adjustment so you arrive safely. In […]
Signal Strength: How to Communicate Clearly with Your Supervisor
Publish Date: January 14, 2026 In the classroom, communication is usually one-way: the instructor talks, and you listen. But on the job site, communication is a two-way radio. For many apprentices, talking to a supervisor or a journey-level mentor can be intimidating. You might worry about asking a “dumb” question, or you might not be […]
Charting Your Course: The “Unspoken Rules” of Workplace Success
You’ve finished the classroom orientation. You have your assignment. You have your start date. Whether you are stepping onto a manufacturing floor in North Mississippi, walking into a healthcare facility in Jackson, or putting on a hard hat on the Coast, the feeling is the same: excitement mixed with nerves. You likely know the technical […]
JerNeka Laird: Rising Through Singing River’s Medical Apprenticeship
JerNeka Laird is a dedicated Registered Medical Assistant with a strong foundation in patient-centered care and clinical support. Originally from Mount Olive, Mississippi, she relocated to Gulfport in 2022 to continue advancing her medical career. A graduate of Prentiss High School (Class of 2016) and Pearl River Community College (Class of 2020), JerNeka completed her […]
FREE YOUR MIND: POSITIVE AFFIRMATION FOR YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS
Cherish R. Johnson WIOA State Youth Coordinator Mississippi Department of Employment Security FREE YOUR MIND: POSITIVE AFFIRMATION FOR YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS May has been designated as National Mental Health Awareness Month. 21st century youth and young adults face many challenges as they try and navigate their way through life while seeking meaning and purpose. […]
Meet Paige Hutchinson
Meet Paige Hutchinson, the Work-Based Learning Coordinator at Pearl River Community College (PRCC).
Continental Tire signs four Hinds CC students as apprentices, awards scholarships | Hinds Community College
Continental Tire signs four Hinds CC students as apprentices, awards scholarships
“These students will have a unique opportunity. They can take advantage of our tuition reimbursement program and our partnership with Mississippi State, and they can even become engineers”
Welcome to the MAP Team Angelia!
Angelia Berry joined the Mississippi Department of Employment Security (MDES) Office of Apprenticeship in December 2023 as an Apprenticeship Expansion Specialist. In this role she will conduct statewide business engagement to help create new and expand existing registered apprenticeship programs (RAPs) in Mississippi.
Delta Aerial Applicator (Ag Pilot) Apprenticeship Program
The Ag Pilot Apprenticeship Program initially began with a $2 million appropriation procured by Mississippi’s U. S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith as an investment in Mississippi’s agricultural economy. Ag Aviation is essential to farmers meeting their yearly demand. This federal earmark will assist the state in addressing the Ag Pilot shortage through the implementation of an Agricultural Aircraft Operations Career Pathway (AAOCP) Program at Delta State University (DSU), […]
Meet Cindy Goodin
Cindy Goodin is the Workforce Development Coordinator in the Workforce Development Division of South Delta Planning and Development District.
Meet Mitzi Woods
Mitzi is the Workforce Director at South Delta Planning and Development District in Greenville, Mississippi; for the Delta Workforce Development Area, having served in her current position for 19 years.
Welcome to the MAP Team Tracy!
Tracy Oscar joined the Mississippi Department of Employment (MDES) Office of Apprenticeship in October 2023. In her new role, Tracy will serve as an Assistant Director and train to be the office’s Standards Expert. She will also be responsible for the Mississippi Apprenticeship Program’s (MAP) grant reporting to the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) and […]
Hinds, KLLM partnership a benefit to both
One of the key partnerships goes back to 2012, when KLLM Transport Services was desperate for truck drivers. KLLM approached Hinds about a partnership that would benefit both parties. The KLLM Driving Academy in Richland opened in 2014.
Disabled firefighter finds new truck driving career
Before Mark White became a certified and licensed truck driver for KLLM Transport Services in Richland, he was a firefighter in Vidalia, La.
Continental Tire, Hinds fuel a young man’s dream of becoming an engineer
Few students leave high school with not only full funding for a two-year college degree but also with a guaranteed job waiting for them afterward.
Diesel Technology Academy student finds early success
Keith Steen counts himself a lucky man. With an associate degree from Hinds and career and technical certificates from the Diesel Technology Academy, the 23-year-old Steen is on the road to early success in his new career as a diesel mechanic with Empire Truck Sales.
Registered Apprenticeship Success Story: Westlake
Apprenticeship program success stories help us promote the tremendous value that these programs bring to employers, employees, and job seekers. Keep reading for the answers from a recent success story: a Senior Training Specialist at Westlake.
Doing What it Takes
William Watson had not needed to use Mississippi Department of Employment Security (MDES) employment services for a while.