Contact: Robbie Ward
STARKVILLE, Miss.--High school students from rural areas of Mississippi don't always see industry and professional opportunities in towns where they grow up.
Many don't realize that high-quality jobs and fulfilling careers may be found just a few miles from home. For example, how many would know that professional engineers are working on radar and other high-technology defense systems at the international company Raytheon's production plant in Newton County?
Mississippi State's Career Center is working to expand local perceptions. For instance, high school seniors at Newton County High School now are part of the Homegrown Talent Program funded by the university's Community Action Team that partners with state communities on a variety of local projects.
Scott Maynard, director of the MSU Career Center, said the program's mission is to connect students statewide with industries in their respective counties that have jobs in their field of interests. Too many high school graduates think they must leave their hometown for a larger city in search of a better job after graduating from a college or university, he observed.
"They may not be aware those same opportunities exist locally for them," Maynard said. "We want to showcase those opportunities across the state."
As with NCHS, the MSU program begun in 2008 involves about 25 students at Gulfport High School. Maynard said the coast school was selected to remind students about the many businesses and industries that are coming back in the current Hurricane Katrina recovery period.
The participating students first take an online career interest inventory. With that information, counselors from the MSU Career Center and high schools collaborate to match students with area employers for periods of informational interviews, which hopefully will lead to further mentoring through "job shadowing."
NCHS counselor intern Kery McDill is an example of students wanting to return home to work. While working on her Mississippi State graduate degree, the Decatur native coordinates with the school counselor to find students for the program.
"These community contacts will become mentors and be available to aid our students in learning more about careers in our community," McDill said.
In addition to helping students learn about professional jobs available in their local areas, the program has the additional benefit of assisting employers with recruiting.
"One constant concern is employing professionals back to rural areas to work," Maynard said. "This shows students how they can return home after college and work at an interesting, high-quality job."
Maynard said he anticipates the program expanding to other high schools in the near future.
For more about MSU's Homegrown Talent Program, contact Maynard at 662-325-3344 or smaynard@career.msstate.edu.
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For more information about Mississippi State University, see http://www.msstate.edu/.