HINDS COMMUNITY COLLEGE
LEADS THE WAY TO START CODING
ACADEMY IN VICKSBURG, MS

Vicksburg, Mississippi- August 28, 2018. – The Vicksburg Warren Economic Development Partnership and Hinds Community College (HCC) announced today that Vicksburg will soon have its own Coding Academy as part of the Mississippi Coding Academies.  The Coding Academies were started as a joint public/private initiative formed under the sponsorship of Innovate Mississippi and the Mississippi Development Authority (MDA) to reduce the shortage of available software coding professionals in the state.  HCC, with support from Innovate and MDA, has taken the lead in the stand-up of the Vicksburg Academy.
According to a press release by the Mississippi Development Authority, Governor Phil Bryan said, “The Mississippi Coding Academies will help develop a well-trained workforce which not only meet but exceed, the expectations of today’s high-tech companies.” The academies offer post-secondary students an intensive 11-month computer science education program. Jackson and Columbus are two of the original cities that were part of the pilot program in 2017.

Hinds Community College (HCC), in its academic and workforce development roles, is leading the Vicksburg Coding Academy in its key areas of education, training and overall administration. In a first for statewide coding academies, Vicksburg Coding Academy participants will receive college credit through HCC for academy participation, something HCC leadership worked hard to achieve.

Marvin Moak, Vice-President of the HCC-Vicksburg campus, said of the local academy, ”This program will equip this community with the skills to attract and retain individuals with high-tech abilities.  It will help move Vicksburg into a technology leadership position in Mississippi.”

A KEY LOCAL EMPLOYER IN NEED OF SKILLED CODERS IS ERDC

ERDC has played a pivotal role in making the local coding academy a reality, providing facilities to house the academy along with employer perspective on skill requirements for academy graduates. “The Vicksburg Coding Academy is a unique educational opportunity that will provide a hands-on immersive workplace environment with a wide variety of coding instruction that will result in skills needed not just at ERDC but also other local employers in the region”, said Dr. Jerry Ballard, a senior supervisor in ERDC’s Information Technology Laboratory.

“I was born in Vicksburg, went off to school and came back to work in my home town for ERDC. Working with our partners over the past several months to make this academy a reality will give other native Vicksburg students a chance to stay and work locally” says Robert Walker, ERDC Deputy Chief Information Officer. Dr. Jeff Holland, Chairman of the Board of the Warren County Economic Development Foundation and board member of the Vicksburg Warren Economic Development Partnership, stated “The future of technology developments in our community is tied to a highly capable coding workforce.  The Vicksburg Coding Academy is a critical step toward achieving that workforce. It sets our community up for success.”

The Vicksburg Coding Academy will consist of classroom and practical training in the most current computer coding skills. It will meet Monday thru Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. daily. Students will focus on the practical application of technology in a hands-on work environment and learn the soft skills necessary for employment. Upon completion of the course, students will receive a certificate from HCC.

The selection process for students has already begun. Those interested in applying for the Vicksburg Coding Academy should immediately Marvin Moak, HCC, at 601-629-6804 for additional information.