Adult Career and Technical Education classes and programs are state and federally funded for instructors' salaries only. These classes and programs provide classroom learning and training activities combined with guided on-the-job learning/training workforce experiences for adults eighteen (18) years of age and older. The purpose of the Mississippi short-term Adult Career and Technical programs/classes is to help adults and employers make the right employment matches, to enhance economic development and education, and to prepare adults with the necessary knowledge and skills to compete in a global economy.
Adult Career and Technical programs/classes must be directly related to business and industry needs. Programs and classes are strongly tied to economic development for which job openings are available or projected. Adult learners receive supplementary training, preparatory training, and apprenticeship training in general and specific workforce competencies based on needs and demands.
Adults are enrolled for the following reasons:
- Job improvement in the workplace
- Technological changes and demands
- Required training and certification for employment
- Employment in a new high-growth career
The economic and educational benefits are:
- More adults are able to obtain productive employment
- Increase in service quality and product quality
- Growth increase in small and medium size companies
- Technology demands
- Greater international competition
- Increased productivity
- Increase in local, state, and federal taxes
- Increase in personal income
On the postsecondary level, priority will be given to adult classes offered for college credit and classes offered to meet certification standards and workplace requirements. On the secondary level, priority will be given to classes offered to help adults and employers make the right employment "matches" and to meet existing and emerging workforce needs in economic depressed and non-economic depressed counties of Mississippi.