Meridian Community College is helping students who didn’t’ finish high school earn a better living. The college’s MIBEST program, short for Mississippi Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training, is in full swing.
“It’s a great opportunity for somebody who, for whatever reason, did not get their high school diploma,” said MCC’s Workforce Project & Grant Coordinator Lucy Morgan.
The MIBEST program allows students to train for a career and obtain their high school equivalency at the same time.
“They can come in get their high school equivalency, if they qualify for the program, also dually enroll get some college credit and skill of some sort that will help them become gainfully employed at the end,” said Morgan.
Career pathways in the MIBEST program include commercial truck driving, healthcare assistant, business and marketing, and welding and technology.
“I realized I could not have a desk job. I need a job that I can work with my hands and do something. Seeing all the cool things you can build around here, I am really excited just to get my hands on some metal and build something up,” said Kelly Klutz, who’s in the program.
In addition to computer programming and drafting and design, the college has added four more career pathways industrial maintenance technician, precision machining, construction trades, and electrical technology to the MIBEST program.
Morgan says the program prepares students for future jobs.
“Everything is based on labor market demand. We look at what the job outlook is for our area. We see what’s out there, what’s projected to be out there for the next four to five years, and that’s what we base our program offerings on.”
The MIBEST program has open enrollment throughout the year. All you have to do is submit an application. To obtain an application, you can visit MCC’s website.
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