Mississippi entered the New Skills for Youth (NSFY) initiative with several statewide student outcomes challenges and a leadership team — including the governor and State Workforce Investment Board (SWIB) — committed to addressing them. By leveraging and combining existing state and federal initiatives and focusing on improving the rigor of career pathways, the state NSFY team set the foundation for statewide career preparation reform.
Phase One of JPMorgan Chase & Co.’s New Skills for Youth grant extended from May to October 2016. With bold visions for improving career readiness in K-12 education, each Phase One state spent the grant period performing a diagnostic assessment of their career preparation system and preparing for implementation of a new action plan. This snapshot describes Mississippi’s experience and progress in Phase One, including promising practices and innovations. Additional snapshots from other Phase One New Skills for Youth states are available here.
