Federal Grant Hopes to Help Fill Shortage of Metalworkers In Mississippi

South Mississippi needs more metalworkers, and a federally funded grant is providing training for individuals in that field for free. MPB’s Phoebe Judge reports

It’s five o’clock and Salvador Pelazolla has just started a five hour advanced metalworking class at the Mississippi Gulf Coast Community college in Gulfport. Pelazolla is a drywaller by trade, and came to the Coast two years ago to pick up on wealth of rebuilding projects from Katrina. But those jobs are drying up and the poor economy isn’t helping,

“There just is not enough free work to do even, so it’s time to look for a new trade, and I just so happened to walk into the right door that day.”

Pelazolla is taking the 220 hour advanced metalworking class for free through the 5 million dollar federally funded WIRED Grant. The goal of the program is helping Mississippi workers obtain more advanced skills to help fill the shortage of metal workers in south of the state. Larry Porter, is Master Trainer at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College,

“If we can train them and they can develop this skill, they can get a better paying job and have a better quality of life for their family.”

One of the largest employers of skilled metalworkers on the Coast is Northrop Grumman Shipbuilders in Pascagoula. Mike Petters President of Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding is standing in the middle of the shipyard,

“I’m hiring. I’ve got work to do, I’ve got some real work to do here, you can look out across the shipyard and you can see ships that are being built and headed towards launch. If you’re qualified we have a job.”

The training is being offered to residents of the southernmost 18 counties in the state.