2026 AccelerateMS Workforce Awards Celebrate Leadership, Collaboration and Impact
JACKSON, Miss. — AccelerateMS honored four individuals and organizations today for their contributions to strengthening Mississippi’s workforce and advancing opportunities across the state.
The 2026 AccelerateMS Workforce Awards recognized Build Mississippi; The Industrial Company’s (TIC) Pre-Apprenticeship Program; Dr. Rachel DeVaughan-Partrick, deputy executive director of programs at the Mississippi Community College Board; and Bill Cork, executive director and chief economic development officer of the Mississippi Development Authority.
The awards were presented during the 2026 MS Horizons Workforce Strategy Symposium, which brought together nearly 500 leaders and partners from across Mississippi. Attendees representing state government, K-12 and higher education, business and industry, economic development, and elected leadership participated in panel discussions, keynote sessions, and educational forums focused on aligning policies, programs, and practices to strengthen Mississippi’s workforce today and prepare for the needs of the future.
“These award recipients represent exactly what Mississippi’s workforce system needs: strong leadership, employer-driven programs, measurable results and a relentless commitment to creating opportunities for Mississippians,” said Dr. Courtney Taylor, executive director of AccelerateMS. “Each recipient has helped move our state beyond simply talking about workforce challenges and toward building practical solutions that connect people to skills, businesses to talent and communities to economic opportunity.”
Build Mississippi was named the 2026 Workforce Program of the Year for its statewide efforts to strengthen Mississippi’s construction and industrial workforce by connecting individuals to industry-recognized training, apprenticeships and high-demand careers in the skilled trades. When the State Workforce Investment Board signaled a need to expand training programs, Build Mississippi went to work quickly, expanding in both high schools and for adult learners.
By bringing training providers and employers together around common industry standards, Build Mississippi is helping address critical talent shortages while giving more Mississippians a direct route into quality careers.
The Industrial Company, commonly known as TIC, received the 2026 Instant Impact Award for working with partners across two regions to turn an immediate employer need into a highly effective workforce solution through its Pre-Apprenticeship Program.
Developed in collaboration with South Mississippi Planning and Development District and Mississippi Delta Community College, the program prepares participants for employment through NCCER Core training covering construction safety, hand and power tools, construction math, material handling and jobsite expectations. More importantly, the training is tied directly to available employment rather than being offered without a defined destination for participants.
In Greenville, 53 of 56 participants earned NCCER Core certification and received job offers from TIC. Fifty-one participants were hired, and 45 remain employed—demonstrating both the program’s immediate placement success and its ability to support employee retention.
Building on that success, the program expanded to Vicksburg. All 12 graduates of its first cohort received job offers, and a second cohort of 11 participants is underway.
The program demonstrates how employers, community colleges, planning and development districts and state workforce partners can work together to move individuals from recruitment to training and into employment quickly—while maintaining clear standards and measurable outcomes.
Dr. Rachel DeVaughan-Partrick received the 2026 Workforce Champion Award in recognition of her leadership, partnership and commitment to strengthening Mississippi’s community college and workforce education system.
DeVaughan-Partrick has been an important partner in efforts to better align education and training with employer demand, expand access to short-term workforce programs and prepare Mississippi for the implementation of the newly established Workforce Pell program.
Bill Cork, executive director and chief economic development officer of the Mississippi Development Authority, received the 2026 Kaizen Spirit Award, which recognizes a leader who embodies continuous improvement, bold thinking and an unwavering commitment to making Mississippi more competitive.
Cork leads a team responsible for business recruitment and expansion, international trade, tourism, energy and community development. Since joining state economic development leadership in 2020, Cork has played an integral role in one of the most successful periods of economic development in Mississippi history. During that time, the state has secured more than $80 billion in announced capital investment and over 27,000 jobs across more than 235 projects.
Cork has been a strong advocate for integrating workforce strategy into economic development from the beginning of the recruitment process. His leadership has helped reinforce that Mississippi’s competitiveness depends not only on sites, infrastructure and incentives, but also on the state’s ability to develop and deliver the talent employers need.
The Kaizen Spirit Award takes its name from the principle of continuous improvement—a quality Cork has brought to Mississippi’s economic development strategy through an emphasis on speed, collaboration, innovation and execution.
“Mississippi’s workforce progress is the result of people and organizations being willing to work across traditional boundaries,” Taylor said. “These recipients have demonstrated what is possible when we begin with the outcome, listen to employers, remove unnecessary barriers and remain accountable for delivering real opportunities to Mississippi workers.
About AccelerateMS
AccelerateMS supports the people and businesses of Mississippi by creating and implementing workforce strategies that link individuals to transformative, high-paying careers. Through strong partnerships and effective grants management, the organization promotes sustained individual, community and statewide economic growth.
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