密西西比州 15 所社区学院获 850 万美元劳动力培训联邦拨款
据 Mississippi Wire 10 月 6 日报道，密西西比州 15 所社区学院将分享 850 万美元联邦拨款，用于“劳动力佩尔”（Workforce Pell）培训项目。拨款将扩大医疗、先进制造、信息技术等领域的短期职业培训。
Workforce Pell 将联邦佩尔助学金的覆盖范围扩展到短期劳动力培训项目，是一项旨在帮助成年人快速获得技能证书、进入高需求岗位的重大政策转变。密西西比州社区学院体系按人均计算居全美前列，是此类培训的主要提供者。
各校校长表示，拨款将用于增设晚间与周末课程、购置新设备，并与本地雇主深化学徒制合作。州官员估计，未来两年拨款可惠及数千名密西西比居民。
消息发布之际，密西西比州雇主正报告技术工种与医疗行业持续存在用工短缺。劳动力倡导者称，这笔投资是连接培训与真实就业的关键一步。
（来源：Mississippi Wire）
Mississippi's 15 Community Colleges to Share $8.5 Million in Workforce Pell Grants
Mississippi's 15 community colleges will share $8.5 million in federal funding for workforce training programs under the Workforce Pell initiative, Mississippi Wire reported on October 6. The grants will expand short-term job training in fields like health care, advanced manufacturing, and information technology.
Workforce Pell extends federal Pell Grant eligibility to short-term workforce programs, a major policy shift aimed at helping adults gain credentials quickly and enter high-demand jobs. Mississippi's community college system, one of the largest per capita in the nation, is a primary provider of such training.
College presidents said the funding will allow them to add evening and weekend classes, buy new equipment, and partner more closely with local employers on apprenticeships. State officials estimate the grants could serve thousands of Mississippians over the next two years.
The announcement comes as Mississippi employers report persistent worker shortages in skilled trades and health care. Workforce advocates called the investment a critical step in connecting training to real jobs.
(Source: Mississippi Wire)
图片来源：图：东密西西比社区学院（EMCC）斯库巴校区校舍。摄影：LeiaHill，CC BY-SA 4.0，来源：Wikimedia Commons
