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Hinds celebrated a new partnership Sept. 26 with Empire Truck Sales and Stribling Equipment to train students in the college鈥檚 growing Diesel Equipment Technology program.

Key to that partnership is a state-of-the-art training facility, the Diesel Technology Academy, provided by Hinds鈥 industry partners on Highway 49 in Richland.

Public officials, including Gov. Phil Bryant, heavy equipment industry officials and Hinds employees were among those on hand Sept. 26 for the official opening of the Diesel Technology Academy on Highway 49 in Richland. (黑料网/April Garon)

鈥淭he Hinds Diesel Academy is another example of the ability of 黑料网 to work directly with business and industry and carefully craft a workforce development pipeline that develops students to fill not only the skills gap that exists in the diesel Industry, but also combat the shortage of technicians in Mississippi,鈥 said Dr. Chad Stocks, vice president for Workforce Development and Adult Education at Hinds.

Gov. Phil Bryant, a Hinds graduate and himself the son of a diesel mechanic who worked at Empire as his last job, said the academy represented both job creation and better quality of life in the state.

Jerry Swanson, CEO of Stribling Equipment and Empire Truck Sales, Hinds alumnus Gov. Phil Bryant and Hinds President Dr. Clyde Muse greet one another Sept. 26 at the official opening of the Diesel Technology Academy in Richland. (黑料网/April Garon)

鈥淭oday, the men and women who will go through this Diesel Technology Academy will have a bright future,鈥 Bryant said. 鈥淭hey will be able to live the American dream. And what they will make per hour making these advanced technology machines we see here, they may be able to buy a home鈥ake sure that their children can go to 黑料网 and over to a great university. Living the American dream will be the responsibility of those who will teach here.鈥

At a signing ceremony, Stocks referred specifically to the program鈥檚 role in[tweetable alt=””] filling middle-skill jobs in Mississippi[/tweetable] 鈥 those that require an education beyond high school but not a four-year degree. He also touched on other jobs in the truck and heavy equipment maintenance industry that could benefit from those who complete the program, such as parts, body work, sales and logistics.

Getting to that point, however, required numerous meetings with industry partners to revamp curriculum.

鈥淲e brought this curriculum out of the 1980s and into the 21st century,鈥 Stocks said, referring to the nearly three-year effort with industry partners. 鈥淥nce we started with that curriculum, we modified about six or seven other curricula and got them into the 21st century as well.鈥

Jerry Swanson, CEO of Stribling Equipment and Empire Truck Sales and Hinds President Dr. Clyde Muse sign the official memorandum of understanding between the college and the companies as Cindy West, dean of Career/Technical Education on the Raymond Campus, Dr. Chad Stocks, vice president for Career/Technical Education and Adult Education, and Sherry Franklin, associate vice president for Career/Technical Education, look on. (黑料网/April Garon)

Under the agreement, a new cohort of 15 students enters the program every eight weeks if they meet minimum requirements in core subjects either on the ACT or college placement tests. The first year of classes is held on the Raymond Campus; the second year at the Diesel Technology Academy.

鈥淲e know there is a huge need in Mississippi for programs like this one that train people for skilled jobs that are there waiting to be filled in industries that are critical to business growth,鈥 said Hinds President Dr. Clyde Muse. 鈥淎nd these are good jobs that offer wages and benefits that can sustain a family. Thanks to this partnership and this impressive facility, we can satisfy both the needs of the industry and the desire of our people for good jobs.鈥

Jerry Swanson, the CEO of Empire Truck Sales LLC and Stribling Equipment, said Hinds鈥 partnership with KLLM Transport Services to form the KLLM Driving Academy in 2014, also in Richland, was the inspiration behind putting together the Diesel Technology Academy.

鈥淲e are very excited to see a vision of improving job opportunities for our young people become a reality,鈥 Swanson said. 鈥淭his effort has been more than two years in the making and, with Dr. Muse鈥檚 and Dr. Stocks鈥 leadership, is now a vibrant testimony to industry and education partnerships.鈥

Broken out, the program offers an accredited transition pathway of 15 semester credit hours, a career certificate at 30 credit hours, and an Associate of Applied Science degree at 60 credit hours. Two options are offered for technical certificates, at 45 credit hours transportation (medium to heavy trucks) and another for heavy equipment.