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.
Registered Apprenticeship Success Story: School of Champions Development & Learning Academy
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 Teach Assistant Apprentice from our RA Partner School of Champion.
Registered Apprenticeship Success Story: AA Calibration
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 from the owner of AA Calibration, Mr. White.
Registered Apprenticeship Success Story: Singing River
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 new LPN apprentice from the new RA program at Singing River.
How Registered Apprenticeship Led Me From Black History to Black Opportunity
In 2006, as an apprentice construction craft laborer in Milwaukee, I helped build one of the I-43 underpasses on Fond Du Lac Avenue. The bridge is well known throughout Wisconsin for the murals that adorn it, including one that tells the story of a man named Joshua Glover.
East Mississippi Community College Stands Ready to Help Workers Brush Up on Skills
A $200,000 grant at East Mississippi Community College is expected to benefit local industries. The school will use the money for training to improve the skills of workers already employed at manufacturing companies.
Welcome to the Team: LaShonda
LaShonda Barnes joined the MAP team on November 16, 2021 as an Apprenticeship Expansion Specialist. Her target area for apprenticeship expansion will be the Mississippi Delta region. This area’s key industries consist of agriculture and manufacturing.
Robin Stewart speaks on National Apprenticeship Week, 2021
Interim Executive Director for the Mississippi Department of Employment Security (MDES) speaks on National Apprenticeship Week.
State Apprenticeship Expansion 2020 Grantees
MAP is excited to announce the newest grant award recipients for the State Apprenticeship Expansion 2020 grant (SAE). MAP is continuing its long-standing sponsor community college partnerships with Hinds Community College, Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, and Pearl River Community College.