Mississippi’s construction industry is booming. Big projects are popping up all over the state.
But there’s a problem. Many of the workers on these job sites aren’t from Mississippi.
Bill Cork, who runs the Mississippi Development Authority, has noticed this trend. He sees lots of out-of-state license plates in the parking lots of big building projects. Cork thinks more local folks should get the skills to fill these jobs.
One huge project is the Amazon Web Services (AWS) data centers in Madison County. In the next few months, it will need 4,000 to 5,000 workers. That’s a lot of jobs to fill!
The good news is that people are working on this problem. Groups like the Mississippi Construction Education Foundation (MCEF) are teaming up with schools and other organizations.
They’re trying to make sure there are enough skilled workers for big projects like the AWS data centers.
MCEF runs a program called Build Mississippi. This fall, they had more students than ever before:
- 190 in Jackson (up from 157 last year)
- 71 in Gulfport (up from 60 last year)
This is a good sign. It means more people are learning the skills needed for construction jobs.
But it’s not enough. Courtney Taylor, who leads a group called AccelerateMS, says the need for skilled workers will last for years.
The industry needs all kinds of workers:
- Electricians
- Plumbers
- Equipment operators
- Construction supervisors
- Engineers
- And many more
To fill all these jobs, Mississippi needs to do a few things:
- Train more workers
- Help current workers learn new skills
- Get more people interested in construction jobs
AccelerateMS is trying to help. They made a list of jobs that are really needed. Many of these are in construction.
They also started a program called Reconnect. It helps pay for short training programs to get more people into these jobs.
Lloyd Munn, who works with the Associated General Contractors of Mississippi, says things are getting better. Schools are offering more programs in construction. But there’s still work to do.
One big change is that construction workers today need to know how to do more than one thing. In the past, a carpenter might only do carpentry. Now, workers often have to wear many hats.
To get more people interested in construction jobs, some groups are getting creative. In the Golden Triangle area, there’s a group called FORGE.
They put on fun events to teach kids about construction jobs. One event is called “Little Hands, Big Trucks.”
But Taylor says Mississippi needs to do even more. She thinks schools, colleges, and companies all need to work together.
They need to make sure people are learning the right skills for the jobs that are out there.
Lee Nations, who leads the Associated Builders and Contractors of Mississippi, is hopeful. He thinks more people are starting to see that construction jobs can be great careers.
