Nearly $500,000 grant will train students over next two years

JACKSON, MS, HINDS, June 7, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Metro Booming Training Academy – an anchor of the $30 million Jackson Yards mixed-use project in the heart of downtown Jackson – has partnered with Delta Regional Authority on a $450,000 grant to train the next generation of forklift operators.

The industry-leading initiative will train some 350 students over the next two years. Students in the month-long program will receive comprehensive coaching including orientation, in-depth forklift training – including work on a virtual forklift simulator, a resume writing workshop, mock interviews, communication skills, career readiness and financial literacy. The virtual forklift training, powered by tech leader BluWorkz, a veteran operated business dedicated to onboarding, training and maintaining the “new-collar” workforce, positions Metro Booming as a leading tech training academy.

The first forklift training class begins June 10, and up to 20 students will be certified each month. If you are interested, please apply here. For more information, call 769.572.7831.

“This partnership underscores the emergence of our Metro Booming Training Academy as the preeminent training facility in the nation,” said Richard Bradley, founder and owner of The Jackson Yards, Metro Booming, A3 Consulting and M-Bar Sports Lounge. “We continue to advance a robust vision for the next generation while reinvigorating historic downtown Jackson and creating thousands of in-demand jobs nationwide.”

The Jackson Yards continues to thrive as a beacon of economic development for the mid-South. Earlier this year, Metro Booming joined forces with Ford Motor Company to launch an industry-leading Automotive Career Exploration (ACE) program to stimulate job growth and workplace development. Through the program, Ford aims to hire Metro Booming students for high-paying jobs at Mac Haik Ford in North Jackson. The automotive giant will hire some 2,673 technicians in its Memphis region this year, which staffs nearly 200 dealerships across the Southeast. Nationwide, Ford has hired more than 46,000 technicians in nearly 3,000 dealerships.

“This is a winning partnership that empowers innovation, job growth and business success,” said Cheyton Pendley, workforce program analyst for Delta Regional Authority. “Through this grant, we are dedicated to fueling job growth, strengthening communities and improving the lives of students nationwide.”

The Jackson Yards is nestled on 10 acres next to the Meridian Speedway (Kansas City Southern and Norfolk Southern Railways) that intersects downtown. The massive Metro Booming Training Academy is housed in a newly renovated, $500,000 warehouse featuring eight bays with world-class training equipment, classrooms, meeting rooms and offices. More than 375 students will participate in the training academy’s first year, and the goal is to enroll more than 2,800 students in the next five years. Metro Booming Training Academy is expected to create nearly 3,000 jobs by 2028.

About The Jackson Yards

The Jackson Yards is 10-acre, $30-million mixed-used development in the heart of downtown Jackson, Mississippi, anchored by Metro Booming Training Academy, that features a world-class trade school – complete with ASE auto and diesel, construction, food & beverage training and the only forklift operations certification in the city. New retail operations feature U-Do-It Auto Garage (auto and diesel service facility) and Work Logistics. Phase two of the 350,000-square-foot development includes a much-needed new affordable housing project.

About Delta Regional Authority

The DRA was established in 2000 as a formal framework for joint federal-state collaboration to promote and encourage the economic development of the lower Mississippi River and Alabama Black Belt regions. To fulfill this purpose, DRA invests in projects supporting transportation infrastructure, basic public infrastructure, workforce training and business development. DRA works to create jobs that build communities and improve the lives of those who reside in the region, encompassing more than 250 counties and parishes in parts of Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee.

Todd Smith
Deane | Smith
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