Contact: Sammy McDavid
Ways to enhance the performance of the state's manufacturing workforce are the focus of a Friday [Oct. 17] professional development workshop organized by a Mississippi State University-based agency.
Nearly 30 members of the Mississippi Technology Extension Partnership are gathering at the Plymouth Bluff Center near Columbus for the day-long program.
A part of the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Institute of Standards and Technology, the partnership is a network of state-based organizations that assist small and medium manufacturers to become more competitive. MTEP provides businesses with access to public and private resources, information and expertise to support their use of modern manufacturing practices and technologies.
The Plymouth Bluff meeting is being coordinated by the Research and Curriculum Unit, a branch of the state Department of Education located at Mississippi State.
Led by Ed Pinero, the Mississippi Technology Extension Partnership is headquartered at the John C. Stennis Space Center in Hancock County. In addition to the Stennis center, the organization maintains five other regional offices and three support offices.
Staffed by a field engineer, the regional offices are located at Delta State University, Jackson State University, Mississippi State University, University of Mississippi, and University of Southern Mississippi. Support offices are located at Coahoma Community College in Clarksdale, East Central Community College in Decatur and Mississippi Delta Community College in Moorhead.