27 September ICC collaboration provides opportunity for financial assistance for five short-term training programs September 27, 2024 By Thomas, Donna S. Career Center, General 0 Students who enroll in five short-term training programs at Itawamba Community College could have the opportunity for financial assistance through Upskill Mid-South, which is a collaboration with the Three Rivers Planning and Development District and the University of Memphis. The programs include Commercial Truck Driving, Electrician Assistant, Google IT, Residential Carpentry Assistant and Welding, according to Josh Gammill, director of Continuing Education. “Upskill Mid-South has introduced the new initiative to provide targeted training programs aimed at supporting unemployed and underemployed individuals across a 42-county tristate region,” Gammill noted. The program is designed to address critical workforce needs. Among the Mississippi counties include Alcorn, Benton, DeSoto, Lafayette, Lee, Marshall, Panola, Pontotoc, Prentiss, Tate, Tippah, Tishomingo, Tunica and Union. “The Itawamba Community College, the University of Memphis and UpSkill Mid-South Partnership offers accelerated job training and education programs to people in the community as well as help finding a job,” said Diane Pabich, director, University of Memphis, Upskill Mid-South program. “Our programs help individuals develop and refine skills that are highly valued in today’s workplace. All are completely sponsored.” To be eligible for Upskill Mid-South training sponsorship, individuals must be 18 years of age or older, U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen with authorization to work in the U.S. and comply with the Military Selective Service Act registration provisions. They must be either unemployed or underemployed (working fewer than 30 hours a week or pay rate less than $15 per hour), a legal permanent resident and currently living in the 42-county tri-state service area. In order to document the eligibility information, participants will be required to upload documentation to demonstrate eligibility for sponsorship before beginning a skills training program, Gammill said. Included are age and identification verification, region verification (proof of residency in counties covered) and unemployment or underemployment verification. For more information, contact jegammill@iccms.edu or continuingeducation@iccms.edu. Related Articles ICC offers free short-term pathway programs to those who qualify through Dec. Itawamba Community College is offering several free short-term career pathways to those who qualify from now until the end of December as part of the ReSkill Mississippi Initiative. The program is designed to help ease the economic burden and uncertainty the pandemic has created for the state’s workforce. ICC is utilizing the resources to enhance or start new workforce development training and/or career education programs that would positively impact underemployed, unemployed, furloughed and/or otherwise displaced individuals who are experiencing economic hardships as a result of COVID-19, said ICC President Dr. Jay Allen. ICC has utilized the ReSkill Mississippi funds to create short-term pathway programs in medical administrative assistant, quality improvement associate, introduction to industrial maintenance and electrician assistant. They join a list of 14 other pathway programs, which also offer free tuition opportunities for those who qualify through December. Allen, who serves as chair of the Mississippi Association of Community Colleges Workforce Committee, and Tyler Camp, chief of staff and special assistant to the president, were instrumental in securing the more than $49 million to ... Kellogg Foundation grant provides opportunity for returning to college Students who left college at least two years ago without a degree can apply for a grant to help overcome financial barriers that may keep them from returning to college to complete the requirements for their degrees. The W.K. Kellogg Foundation recently awarded the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning $1.3 million to fund Mississippi’s Complete 2 Compete Tuition Assistance Grant through 2023. Funds can be used at any of the public universities or community colleges in Mississippi. The Complete 2 Compete program provides one-on-one support for adult learners who have earned college credits, but not a degree, and enables them to turn their deferred dreams of earning a degree into reality. Qualifying returning students will receive a $1,000 grant that can be renewed every semester. The award helps pay for any coursework needed to graduate and can help repay prior debt to allow students the opportunity to return and graduate. There are more than 200,000 prior students who qualify for the Complete 2 Compete program. Since May, the C2C program has reached out ... ICC provides assistance with FAFSA completion Itawamba Community College is offering an opportunity to assist prospective students with completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Students in ICC’s five-county district can make appointments with a financial aid adviser on designated dates, while home-schooled students and adult learners have an option to sign up on Dec. 16. Appointments, which are scheduled in 30-minute increments, begin at 8 a.m. and end at 4 p.m. The schedule includes Aberdeen High School, Nov. 6; Amory High School, Dec. 2; Baldwyn High School, Nov. 27, 28; Houston High School, Dec. 11; Itawamba Agricultural High School, Dec. 9; Mantachie High School, Dec. 8; Mooreville High School, Oct. 21; Nettleton High School, Nov. 13; North Pontotoc High School, Oct. 20, Nov. 3; Okolona High School, Nov. 11; Pontotoc High School, Oct. 14; Shannon High School, Dec. 15; South Pontotoc High School, Oct. 22, Nov. 10; and Tupelo Christian Preparatory School, Dec. 8. Students at Saltillo, Smithville and Tremont High Schools should register for Dec. 16. Appointment times can be ... March 24 ICC Spring Preview Day provides opportunity for high school juniors High school juniors will have an opportunity to learn about student life at Itawamba Community College during Spring Preview Day, Mar. 24, from 9 a.m.-noon at the Davis Event Center on the Fulton Campus. The schedule includes arrival and check-in, 8:15-8:50 a.m.; welcome, 9 a.m.; preview expo and campus tours, 9:15 a.m.; and optional lunch at the dining hall ($6 per additional person), noon. The Spring Preview Day will include information about ICC’s new schools of, including academic, health science and career education programs, and participants can interact directly with faculty within the areas. The preview expo will enable prospective students to visit with programs, offices, departments and student organizations to learn more about academic and student involvement opportunities. According to Michael Holloway, director of recruitment and orientation, Spring Preview Day is designed specifically for high school juniors to learn about all aspects of student life; however, high school seniors who have not visited ICC before may attend. High school counselors who are interested in attending the event as a large group should ... Itawamba Community College receives $100,000 and joins 41 other schools across the US as All Within My Hands' Metallica Scholars Initiative expands in year five Metallica’s foundation, All Within My Hands, continues its multimillion-dollar investment in critical workforce programs at community colleges nationwide. Among the schools, Itawamba Community College was selected from a competitive pool of applicants to receive $100,000 to transform the futures of students in the community. “It is a tremendous honor for Itawamba Community College to be selected as one of the recipients of the prestigious All Within My Hands grant, which will significantly impact our career education programs, providing funding for students to pursue a pathway and their best start,” said ICC President Dr. Jay Allen. “It is another indication of the success of the College and reinforcement of the mission that students and their success are our top priority.” The Metallica Scholars Initiative (MSI) was launched in 2019 by Metallica’s foundation, All Within My Hands (AWMH), in partnership with the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC). The workforce initiative marks its fifth year with an ambitious expansion into new curricula. MSI now directly supports 42 community colleges across 33 states, and by the end of this year, it will have helped ... ICC's Nursing students have opportunity to benefit from Women's Foundation of Mississippi grant Students in Itawamba Community College’s Associate Degree Nursing and Practical Nursing programs will have an opportunity to benefit from a significant grant from the Women’s Foundation of Mississippi. The $40,000 Access to Opportunity – Training and Graduating a Healthcare Workforce for Mississippi grant will be divided between the ADN and PN programs based on relative program enrollments, said Rilla Jones, dean of Health Science Instruction. This year, 31 ADN and 19 PN students will receive funds. Students in their final year/semester of their nursing program will be informed of this grant during the beginning of the fall semester, Jones said. Those who would like to be considered for the grant will complete an application and sign a consent form for FAFSA data to be accessed. Selection will be based on lowest estimated financial contribution and income level and the most number of dependents. Students who are selected will be awarded $800. “This targeted, need-based funding will allow students near graduation to be able to pay for expenses, such as NCLEX review courses, licensing exams ... Comments are closed.