Southern Mississippi Planning and Development District

The Workforce Development Program establishes a centrally located place where job seekers can access job training, education, and employment services, and employers can post job openings and get current information on the skills their workers will need to be competitive. Although not all services may be provided under one roof, information about how and where to access them is available at one location. In Mississippi, the one-stop system is called the Workforce Investment Network, WIN in Mississippi.

The Workforce Investment Act of 1998, known as WIA, provides the framework for a unique national workforce preparation and employment system designed to meet the needs of businesses, job seekers, and individuals who want to further their careers. The legislation is based on the following elements:

• Locally designed and managed
• Convenient access
• Customer choice
• Customer information
• Business participation

Service Area

The Twin Districts Workforce Area comprises 24 counties: Clarke, Covington, Forrest, George, Greene, Hancock, Harrison, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson Davis, Jones, Kemper, Lamar, Lauderdale, Leake, Marion, Neshoba, Newton, Perry, Pearl River, Scott, Smith, Stone and Wayne county. SMPDD acts as Fiscal Agent for Twin Districts Workforce Area in conjunction with East Central Planning and Development District.