Hinds Community College to launch technical training center in Mississippi mall

Hinds Community College, Raymond, Miss., has announced plans to launch a career-technical and workforce training and support services program in the Metrocenter Mall in Jackson, Miss. The college will administer the center on behalf of its 11 partners on the project.

The training center will house high-tech classrooms where students will be trained in advanced manufacturing, transportation, and hospitality and tourism. It will offer opportunities from basic employability skills to two-year technical degree classes.

The center also will have classrooms for MI-BEST, a community college program that teaches adult students without a high school diploma both academic and technical skills so they will be job-ready. It will offer such support services as job search assistance, workshops, help with unemployment insurance benefits, funding to pay for career tech training, on-the-job training opportunities, and vocational rehabilitation.

“We’re out of space for a lot of our career and technical programs. Our enrollment has been growing significantly in that area,” Hinds President Dr. Clyde Muse said. “But it will not only give us additional classrooms and labs to teach in, but it will give the citizens of our district a centralized, convenient place where they can go to obtain the support services they need to get a job.”

The center will encompass 160,000 sq. ft. on two floors of a former department store. The bottom floor will include an event area and programs for metal fab machining and welding. The top floor will include offices for the partners and classrooms for mechatronics, robotics, and 3-D design.