Mississippi Power Foundation invests $50,000 in Pearl River Community College’s Energy Academy

Gulfport, Miss. – The Mississippi Power Foundation recently committed $50,000 to Pearl River Community College’s utility lineworker technology program to upgrade a classroom and expand the educational opportunity to local high school students.

The new classroom will be utilized by college students in the program and by select students from Pearl River Central, Poplarville and Picayune high schools who will use the space as an Energy Academy, preparing them to pursue a career in the energy industry.

“At Mississippi Power, we know the importance of investing in our future workforce,” said Area Manager Meg Payment. “By strengthening our partnership with Pearl River Community College, we know that students will receive a quality education and hands-on training that will prepare them for a successful career.”

The facility is just one piece of an overall long-term expansion of the college and its Career and Technical Education program.

“We’re so grateful for our partnership with Mississippi Power,” said Pearl River Community College President Dr. Adam Breerwood. “This donation will allow us to expand our utility lineman program and help us continue to create opportunities for students to enter this industry. Most importantly, this is a direct pathway for our students to continue their education in our community and find great jobs locally after they graduate.”

This is one of several recent investments by the Mississippi Power Foundation to strengthen the area’s workforce development initiatives. Last year, Mississippi Power signed a Memorandum of Understanding for a new Electric Lineworker Training program at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College.

Now in its 98th year of operations, Mississippi Power, a subsidiary of Southern Company (NYSE: SO), produces safe, reliable and affordable energy for more than 191,000 customers in 23 southeast Mississippi counties. Mississippi Power was honored with a Community Partner Impact Award from the Center for Energy Workforce Development for its innovative and ongoing efforts to build a diverse workforce. The Employer Support for the Guard and Reserve recently recognized Mississippi Power for its commitment to its military workforce. Mississippi Power has nearly 160MW of solar capacity at four locations across the company’s service territory, including Southern Company’s first project to combine the latest, cutting-edge solar technology with battery storage. Visit our websites at mississippipower.com, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

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