Skill-IT-Thon: Statewide digital skills initiative to unlock opportunity for Mississippians

Digital skills are?more important than ever. Almost every job requires some level of digital fluency.?Tech and tech-enabled roles are well-paying jobs, but people from historically excluded communities, like many here in Mississippi, are consistently underrepresented in technology. This is why I'm excited to announce the launch of the Mississippi Public Broadcasting Skill-IT-Thon, a statewide digital skills initiative powered by Microsoft TechSpark to help drive inclusive growth by upskilling Mississippians with the skills that are critical for this economy.

From?May 1 through June 30, Mississippi residents at least 16 years old can register, browse through the eligible LinkedIn Learning courses and pathways, and submit certificates all through the MPB's Skill-IT-Thon site. There are a dozen eligible courses and seven learning pathways, taught by the best instructors in the world, and easily accessible anywhere and anytime. The more participants learn, the more points they earn! Top winners in each category can earn cash prizes.

We need alternative, flexible, and accessible paths to well-paying jobs.?Schools, governments, companies, individuals —?we all need to help transition to?focus on skills and abilities.?

I’m committed to Microsoft TechSpark playing a role in supporting this region with skill-based approaches to digital opportunities because what employers really want to know is whether a person can do a job. Skills, whether learned from an Ole Miss degree, an online course, or an apprenticeship, are what gets the job done.

Thanks to the pilot workforce and supporting partners City of Jackson Department of Planning & Development The Bean Path the MPB Education & Workforce Division and the JACKSON RESOURCE CENTER to connect individuals and organizations to this initiative and hosting in-person skills workshops to drive learner success.

Looking ahead, Mississippi Skill-IT program 2024 and beyond

The first Skill-IT-Thon will end June 30th, but the current partners will reflect on learnings then make programmatic adjustments and expansion plans for 2024 and beyond.

• Geo expansion: The Jackson Resource Center, The Bean Path, and the City of Jackson's Planning Economic Development Department are the pilot partners in this initiative covering central Mississippi. The expanded geo plan is to have at least one skilling partner rooted in each region of the state - North, Gold Triangle, Delta, Pine Belt, and Gulf Coast.
• Workforce services expansion: I can’t think of a more important time to remove barriers and open up on-ramps?to new employment. The Skill-IT program will expand to also help people showcase their in-demand skills that will help them get a foot in the door with a new company or a new role within their organization. Our local skilling partners will help the current and former Skill-IT-Thon participants put their digital skills certifications to use by providing career coaching (interview prep, LinkedIn profile review, resume building) and facilitate connections to employment.
• Ongoing learning: The Skill-IT program focus will expand to help the Skill-IT-Thon participants cultivate their skills.?No matter how many learners participate in our Skill-IT-Thon and obtain certifications, it means nothing if we can’t help them develop the skills. The local skilling partners will use data from the?Economic Graph?to help identify in demand skills and help direct learners to the additional resources to develop those skills.
• AI skilling: Artificial Intelligence (AI) has the potential to serve as a catalyst for a new era of opportunity and economic growth. But to ensure this economic growth is inclusive, everyone will need some degree of AI fluency to both understand and leverage this technology. We already included two eligible LinkedIn courses for this round of the Skill-IT-Thon and will be rolling out additional AI learning opportunities to support both individual learners and small businesses/nonprofit organizations. I am excited to see how our state and local partners harness the power of AI to increase productivity to do more, do it faster and be more inclusive in their work.

A vision this bold to improve the way we connect Mississippi talent to opportunity isn’t something we can do alone.?Companies, schools, nonprofits, governments, and individuals?all need to come together to help unlock and reward the talent in every nook and cranny in Mississippi waiting to be revealed.

I hope you’ll consider sharing a link to this blog, the QR below, our MPB Skill-IT site, or the City of Jackson's Skill-IT page?with anyone you might know that is interested in learning new skills or finding a new career.