On Wednesday, May 17, 2023, another Workforce Wednesday workshop took place in MPB’s Education area. This workshop session’s primary focus was Skill-IT-Thon, an initiative that offers free online courses and certifications to enhance technical and professional workforce skills. The in-person/virtual (hybrid) session took place from 11:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. at 3825 Ridgewood Road, Jackson, Miss. 39211.
Three guest speakers attended this workshop to share information about the statewide Skill-IT-Thon challenge. Individuals can register to participate at gettingtowork.mpbonline.org. Skill-IT-Thon is offered in partnership with Microsoft Philanthropy and LinkedIn Learning. Aside from MPB’s partnering with Microsoft Philanthropy, other agencies, and organizations in partnership with this service include the City of Jackson, The Bean Path, and the Jackson Resource Center. Guest speakers for this workshop included the Director of Education at MPB, Dr. Tara Y. Wren; the Director of Corporate Support for MPB, Cedric Grizzell; the Education Coordinator at Jackson Resource Center, Dr. Ashley Stewart; and the Development Assistant Manager for the City of Jackson, Michael Davis.
Skill-IT-Thon offers registrants an opportunity to reskill and upskill by receiving free digital training to gain better employment and/or better skills. The Skill-IT-Thon challenge helps individuals “earn while you learn,” Wren stated. Grizzell said Microsoft introduced MPB to this opportunity one year ago. He also discussed the program’s strategies. “The end goal is connecting learners to jobs,” Grizzell said. He further explained that the free digital courses are for advanced and novice learners to reskill and upskill their skill sets to gain job promotions and increase individuals chances of earning employment. Wren said the Microsoft certifications are for every individual from high school students, college students, job seekers, and individuals who want to refresh their skills for their current positions or to find in-demand jobs. Furthermore, Wren explained how Skill-IT-Thon courses can promote digital skills and employability, offer industry-recognized credentials, and create equitable access to updated or new skill sets.
Michael Davis shared how the City of Jackson’s goal is to promote workforce development, continuing education, and professional development. The City of Jackson expects that once registrants complete the Skill-IT-Thon courses and pathways, the online training will prepare some participants to become entrepreneurs. Davis explained that if individuals decide to start a business in Jackson, the City of Jackson has a small business relief grant, which offers up to $30,000 for various businesses.
The Jackson Resource Center provides housing for the homeless, medical services, and education services with a high school diploma program. The Jackson Resource Center’s mission is to provide, coordinate, and deliver an efficient system of care for the homeless community and pregnant women in the metro area. For the Skill-IT-Thon challenge the Jackson Resource Center’s partnership provides success coaches who help participants access a LinkedIn account, offers free internet access, and the coaches assist individuals with Skill-IT-Thon learning pathways, such as the Digital Literacy and Productivity course.
Participants in the Skill-IT-Thon challenge compete for prizes between $250 and $1,500. The competition lasts from May 1 until June 30, however, once the contest ends, participants can still access the free online courses to reskill and upskill for in-demand roles in a digitally focused economy. Participants earn one point for receiving a certificate, however, if they complete all the segments under each learning pathway, participants will earn 10 points and a badge. Winners must return to the gettingtowork.mpbonline.org website to submit certificates in order to earn cash prizes. There can be up to 12 winners announced in Mississippi. The first-place winner will earn $1,500, the second-place winner will earn $1,000, the third-place winner will earn $600, and the fourth-place winner will earn $250. There will be four winners per age group (16- to 24-year-olds, 25- to 49-year-olds, and 50 years old or older). Benefits of the program may include employers recognition that certifications add value to their business or organization, employees experience increase confidence and greater work autonomy, and job satisfaction is boosted.
In December 2016, Microsoft acquired LinkedIn for $26.2 billion dollars. Since 2016, the CEO of LinkedIn’s purpose for the integration was to develop more economic opportunities and assist with disruptive technologies in the future. The CEO’s mission was to make individuals more productive and successful, yet his vision was to develop more economic opportunities within the global workforce. By 2025, one of Microsoft’s goals is to train and certify approximately ten million individuals for in-demand career pathways.
Register now for the Skill-IT-Thon challenge by visiting this website https://gettingtowork.mpbonline.org/Skill-IT-MS/. Participants must create a free LinkedIn account to take the free courses. A video of this workshop can be found at gettingtowork.mpbonline.org. The competition ends on June 30.