Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College is one of five community colleges in the state participating in a $20.5 million grant for a pilot workforce program for food stamp recipients. Gov. Phil Bryant announced Monday that more than 3,000 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance (SNAP) recipients will be randomly selected for the three-year pilot project that will include training toward a degree at participating community colleges.

“Educational institutions have a responsibility to prepare residents to work and become successful, contributing members of their communities,” Dr. Graham, MGCCC president, said. “We are excited that MGCCC will be a part of this pilot program designed to help program participants become self-sufficient through employability preparation and career training.”

In the pilot program, MGCCC will be responsible for implementing the Mississippi Works Career Assessment Program. Once selected SNAP recipients are referred by the WIN Job Center, they will report to MGCCC for orientation to determine readiness for the four-week Career Assessment Program (CAP). During CAP, participants’ barriers to self-sufficiency will be identified before they are transferred into a career-training program.

The program is part of a competitive $200 million, 10-state initiative funded through the USDA, with programs in California, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Vermont, Virginia and Washington. It is intended to test strategies selected as pilot programs for helping SNAP participants find jobs, increase their earnings and reduce their reliance on public assistance.

Authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill, the grants fund pilot projects focusing on target populations, including individuals with low skills, able-bodied adults without dependents and SNAP recipients working in very low-wage or part-time jobs. If a SNAP recipient refuses to participate in the program they could lose their benefits.

Applications for the program will be accepted through the WIN Job Center beginning in October 2015.

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