The aim of ReSkill Mississippi (ReSkillMS) is to help ease the economic burden and uncertainty the coronavirus pandemic has created for Mississippi's workforce, Reeves said this week. Photo courtesy ReSkillMS

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Gov. Tate Reeves has announced a $55 million initiative to create workforce training programs at community colleges and offer financial incentives to employers to hire individuals who have lost work due to the coronavirus.

The aim of ReSkill Mississippi (ReSkillMS) is to help ease the economic burden and uncertainty the coronavirus pandemic has created for Mississippi's workforce, Reeves said this week.

Most of the money will be used by the state’s community colleges to expand capacity in high demand programs and to offer free short term training. Approximately $5 million will be used for employers willing to hire and train individuals who have been furloughed, laid off, or been hurt economically by the pandemic. Employers are eligible to be reimbursed for up to 75% of the individual’s wages during the training period. The program requires a minimum fair wage threshold of $15-per-hour for employers to be eligible for reimbursements.

“While we are in the midst of a public health crisis, we are also fighting this disease on an economic front. Hundreds of thousands of Mississippians have been laid off during this pandemic. Countless Mississippi employers are struggling to make ends meet,” Reeves said.

The funding appropriated for ReSkillMS was part of Mississippi's $1.25 billion in federal coronavirus relief funds.

Individuals and employers interested in the program should go online to ReSkillMS.com to complete a survey. An official from Mississippi’s workforce offices will reach out to the individual to guide them through the application process.