Mississippi’s chamber of commerce has teamed with the state’s workforce development office to bolster the state’s talent pool. The Mississippi Business Alliance Foundation’s partnership with Accelerate Mississippi aims to establish a new council focused on higher education goals and strategies.
The council will emphasize certification and credentialing programs alongside traditional degrees. Courtney Taylor, executive director of Accelerate Mississippi, said leveraging data, employer input, and strategic partnerships can help more Mississippians develop the skills needed by employers.
The Mississippi Postsecondary Attainment Council replaces the Education Achievement Council in an effort to better align workforce efforts with job market demands, said Scott Waller, president of the foundation. Waller noted that the new approach aims to improve outcomes for all populations across the state.
Meanwhile, the expansion of Amazon’s data centers in Mississippi continues amid legislative changes that limit oversight of utility spending. Entergy Mississippi, which supplies power to Amazon, claims its agreements will lead to long-term savings for ratepayers, though critics question the verification of those claims.
Environmental groups have raised concerns that residential rates have already increased by over $10 per month due to data center operations, according to Mississippi Today. Entergy maintains that the investments will save customers $2 billion over 20 years and enable upgrades to the power grid that benefit all ratepayers.
Construction has begun on one of Amazon’s newest data centers in Clinton, with officials celebrating the project’s start. In other local developments, a summer camp in Lowndes County is providing girls with hands-on learning opportunities, while residents in DeSoto County are suing Elon Musk’s AI company over noise from its power plant. The lawsuit comes just before the company’s anticipated IPO, valued at $1.7 trillion.
Recent filming projects in Mississippi and local industry efforts, including Nissan’s exploration of new partnerships and NPL Construction’s $1.9 million investment in Greenwood, highlight ongoing economic activity. Nissan previously delayed electric vehicle plans at its Canton plant amid slowing U.S. demand.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
