Natchez, MS— The City of Natchez and Natchez Workforce Development are proud to announce the launch of The Miss-Lou Train to Gain Program, a transformative workforce development initiative awarded $300,000 in grant funding from the Delta Regional Authority (DRA). Natchez’s application was selected as one of the 25 awardees of over 120 applicants. The grant, which begins April 14, 2025, and runs through April 13, 2027, is part of a strategic effort to uplift and empower underserved communities across Southwest Mississippi and neighboring Louisiana parishes.
The program is designed to train 100 dislocated workers, including formerly incarcerated individuals and veterans, and aims to place at least 75 participants in high-skill, high-wage jobs that offer career advancement, stackable credentials, and industry-recognized certifications.
“Some of the most vulnerable in our population are about to receive workforce training, obtain industry-recognized credentials, and get started in a career pathway quickly that will provide more than livable wages,” said Tuwanna N. Williams, our Director of Workforce Development at the City of Natchez and the program’s grant author. “People are being empowered to purchase homes, provide and receive education for their children and themselves, and live and work right at home—investing in the local community and actively assisting us in maintaining its growth.”
Mayor Dan M. Gibson celebrated the announcement, stating:
“This investment in the people of Natchez and our region is truly a blessing. It represents hope, opportunity, and progress. We are building not just a workforce—but a future. Thanks to the Delta Regional Authority and the leadership of Tuwanna Williams, we are putting tools in the hands of those who need them most, and we’re changing lives.”
The initiative will serve six persistent-poverty counties in Southwest Mississippi—Adams, Claiborne, Franklin, Jefferson, Pike, and Wilkinson—as well as Catahoula and Concordia Parishes in Louisiana.
In collaboration with partners including Copiah-Lincoln Community College, Natchez-Adams County Board of Supervisors, Natchez-Adams School District, Natchez, Inc., WIN Job Center, MAGCOR, and the Natchez-Adams Chamber of Commerce, the program goals are to:
· Address regional workforce shortages through public-private partnerships
· Expand apprenticeships and on-the-job training opportunities
· Provide rapid, high-impact training to dislocated workers, veterans, and ex-offenders
The Miss-Lou Train to Gain Program directly supports federal and state workforce initiatives including the DRA State and Federal Plans and the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) State Plan, with a shared focus on Workforce Competitiveness, Community Capacity, and Coordinated Interagency Partnerships.
This program represents a significant step toward lowering unemployment, boosting economic resilience, and creating pathways to sustainable, long-term success for individuals and families in the Miss-Lou region.
For media inquiries or to learn more about program enrollment, please contact Tuwanna N. Williams at (601) 597-3093 or via email at twilliams@natchez.ms.us.
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