Left to right, Lisa Wiggington, Joey F. Garner, Brendan Carr, and James Garner TEC Executive Vice President Joey F. Garner and Vice President of Operations James Garner were among nearly two dozen entrepreneurs, telecommunications executives, professors, and politicians recently invited to participate in a round table discussion at Jackson State University on Monday, February 19, focused on workforce development and training in the telecommunications and technology sector. The group also discussed how broadband expansion in rural areas would mean more opportunities for Mississippians to advance.
Also at the table was FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr, announcing what the federal government is doing to help workforce development and to reduce the digital divide in rural states like Mississippi. "It's hard enough to get broadband to a lot of rural parts of the country, rural parts of Mississippi," said Carr. "We have unnecessary red tape that raises the cost and slows it down. We need to do something about that. At the FCC where I work, we have a number of reforms that we are teeing up. We can hopefully get it across the finish line. That'll help."
The round table discussion, hosted by J.S.U. and Senator Roger Wicker, offered the participants a great venue for sharing opportunities and challenges in the technical workforce arena. “I was pleased to be a part of this group that is working toward more capable, trained Mississippians in technical fields. It was encouraging to hear from many educators about how our state’s community colleges and universities are meeting the needs of our students,” added Joey F. Garner.