Home to the nation’s preeminent center for agricultural research and innovation, Washington County puts your operation in the heart of an ag-rich region where technology meets talent and where tomorrow’s workforce is taking shape today.
Driving a world-class talent pipeline are components that include:
In Stoneville, thousands of personnel—including a nationally leading concentration of Ph.D.’s in science and engineering—assure the future of the nation’s crops with ag innovation, research and technology transfer. Leading among Stoneville’s network of federal and state entities are the Southeast Area Office Headquarters of the Jamie Whitten Delta States Research Center, a major research establishment of the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS); and the Delta Research and Extension Center (DREC), the largest agricultural experiment center in the nation. Operated as a component of MSU’s Division of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine, DREC researches all the Mid-South’s major crops, including cotton, rice, corn and catfish production, while bringing diverse expertise to the mission of assisting the region’s producers with solutions, innovations and technology transfer. The Jamie Whitten Delta States Research Center implements its mission across 27 research locations and four worksites, representing billions for research and development and cluster industries.
Washington County brings crucial experience to workforce development and a record of results through the nationally recognized ACT National Career Readiness Certificate. As a certified Work-Ready community since 2017, Washington County has consistently produced Silver level skills higher than the national average. In addition to a robust skills baseline, employers are also assured of a stronger pool of applicants through ACT profiling.
Mississippi Delta Community College (MDCC) offers traditional academic routes as well as certifications and programming in key career areas such as precision machining and manufacturing technology, aviation maintenance training and agricultural business and technology. The Greenville Higher Education Center, an extension of Mississippi Valley State University, offers another Washington County option, while Delta State University is only 30 miles away.
The workforce arm of MDCC, the Capps Center is a powerfully collaborative partner for local industry, keeping local skill levels high while also designing and implementing any needed custom training. The Capps Center works hand-in-hand with the WIN Center, the region’s one-stop resource for training, recruitment, hiring and more. WIN is a critical hub that connects job candidates with needed skills training and employers with needed skilled workforce. Together, the WIN Center and the Capps Center assure that local performance meets or exceeds global standards.
Washington County students get a vital early start to college- and career-readiness at the Western Line Collegiate Academy, a new Mississippi School of Innovation allowing high school students to earn associate degrees or national certifications along with their high school diplomas.