Coaching and Caring: Working Together to Strengthen Mississippi’s Talent Pipeline

Submitted by Prentiss M. McLin, II, Ph.D.

The Central Mississippi Planning and Development District (CMPDD) recently launched a career coaching program in Vicksburg, and the Vicksburg-Warren School District (VWSD) proudly welcomed Monica Watson and Alexandria Burrell as the newest supports for student success.

Through this program, high schools will be allowed to advocate for workforce development and training and expose students to postsecondary career and training opportunities in their communities. Students will also have the opportunity to learn about career opportunities and employer expectations.

The addition of the career coaches provides VWSD students an advocate and mentor to walk them through career planning experiences and work‐based learning opportunities designed to change students’ lives and make communities stronger.

The intervention of career coaches will be paramount in the VWSD, where the mission is to ensure that all students graduate college-, life- and career-ready. Additionally, employers will see an additional pipeline of skilled workers who have the technical, academic and hands‐on training needed to match unfilled vacancies in their companies both locally and statewide.

“The Career Coach positions at each of the high schools brings an additional support to our district as we continue to encourage and build positive relationships through networking with industry and increase one on one coaching, particularly for those students who need it the most,” Innovative District Director Curtis Ross said.

The career coach model has proven successful in several Mississippi school districts, as 13 new career coaches have been deployed throughout four Mississippi counties — Hinds, Madison, Adams and Warren.

The VWSD has embraced the career coaches and received the full support of the teachers, students and administration.

Alexandria Burrell, career coach at Warren Central High School, said the career coaches have been widely accepted. She highlighted the placement of a student in a paid internship role with Keller Williams Realty-New Beginnings under the leadership of Lucy DeRossette, an independent real estate contractor.

“We are meeting students where they are on the road; whether that road is leading them to college or to the workplace,” Burrell said.

The introduction of the career coaches increases the opportunities to positively influence educational outcomes and career trajectories for VWSD students.

The career coaches assist students in identifying career goals through personal and group consultation while promoting academic and personal success through student advocacy.

As the Career Coach program grows, so will the opportunities for students to develop their skills and talents so they can prepare, prefer and perform as a part of Mississippi’s tapestry of world-class workforce and highly accomplished academic talent.