Click here for the ICC/CDF Workshops that are now available.

Download the "Graduate To The Highway Of Success" Powerpoint. [5.2 MB]

Download the latest Workforce Education Brochure here (PDF).

Visit the Mississippi Scholars Website Here.

The challenges that are occurring in the national and global economy have forced substantive changes in the field of economic development. In order to compete in today’s knowledge economy, it is important to understand the link between workforce development and economic development. The CDF workforce program strengthens the Tupelo/Lee County area in many ways, including building and facilitating key partnerships with:

• Business & Industry
• K-12 schools
• Community colleges 
• Universities

 
The CDF workforce program assists with the development and implementation of needed training programs by:

• Visiting and job shadowing local manufacturers and businesses, seeking their input on needed training
• Conducting comprehensive workforce surveys to determine the changing skills needed to meet local employer demand
• Scheduling & enrollment of CDF/ICC consortium training workshops
• Facilitating a Workforce / Education Committee comprised of business, industry, K-12 educators and community college representatives
• Acting as a liaison and contact for workforce resources in the community

The CDF/ICC consortium approach has trained over 5,000 local area employees in the past several years. This approach gives companies who do not have enough employees to qualify for assistance, an opportunity to take advantage of state training dollars. The consortium concept has been adopted in such areas as

Lean Manufacturing Various Computer Skills including Microsoft Time Management Leadership Skills Effective Communication Soft Skills of all types Hazardous Waste Operations OSHA Spanish for Industry, Manufacturing & Distribution Computer Aided Design (CAD) Workplace Violence How to conduct business in China

Visit the Mississippi Corridor Consortium website.

The workforce program provides a key link to available opportunities and resources for companies interested in possibly locating to the Tupelo and Lee County area. The CDF Workforce Program won a special category award from Business Retention & Expansion International (BREI) in 2004.

Workforce Development is an integral part of ensuring that the Tupelo /Lee County area continues to grow and prosper in the coming years.

The following workshops have been conducted using the CDF/ICC Consortium Training approach. Over 5200 local area employees have participated in the following workshops saving area employers over several hundred thousand dollars.

We are constantly adding workshops based on business and industry needs.

• Comprehensive Lean Manufacturing
• Leadership Training Series
• Microsoft Workshops
• Adobe Photoshop
• What Matters Most Time Management
• The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People
• Administrative Assistant training
• Workforce Violence Prevention
• AutoCAD
• Various OSHA workshops
• 24 Hour Hazardous Waste Operations Certification
• 8 Hour Hazardous Waste Operations Annual Refresher
• National Fire Protection Association 70E Electrical Safety Compliance
• Workplace Ethics
• Six Sigma Certifications
• Better Business Writing
• Accountability That Works
• Communicating Like a Pro
• Making Your Words Work
• Spanish for Warehousing, Manufacturing & Distribution
• Would I Work for Me
• Would I Follow Me
• I’m  Not Difficult, I’m just not you (Myers Briggs Type Indicator)
• Doing Business in China
• Ergonomics for Office Personnel
• Ergonomics for General Industry
• Setting Up an Ergonomics Program
• Time and Motion study