Year: 2024
Relevance
A well-prepared workforce helps individuals, businesses, families and communities become more resilient and thrive. After discussions with several industry and community sectors, Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant identified the need to increase workforce training opportunities across the region.
Response
Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant currently leads or supports workforce development activities across all four Sea Grant focus areas. These activities range from undergraduate and graduate education to short-term professional development events to yearlong, immersive apprenticeship programming. These far-ranging workforce development efforts serve a wide range of people including undergraduate and graduate students, teachers, fisheries and aquaculture professionals, restoration practitioners, floodplain managers, elected officials and others. The trainings occurred across the coast in Alabama and Mississippi and across the country.
Results
During 2024 more than 1,096 people directly benefited from participating in workforce development activities led or supported by Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant. Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant's leadership across 13 distinct programs provided targeted training for specific sectors. Due to the overwhelmingly positive response, the programs are slated to continue and expand to reach more people, elevating the workforce.
Recap
The Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium supported 13 programs across all focus areas that led to workforce development training of more than 1,030 people across a variety of sectors including fishing, education, aquaculture, resilience and more.