Senate Concurrent Resolution 655

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION COMMEMORATING THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE JUNIOR RESERVE OFFICER TRAINING CORPS (JROTC) AND RECOGNIZING THE EFFORTS OF THIS PROGRAM TO "BUILD LEADERS FOR LIFE" IN MISSISSIPPI.

WHEREAS, created by Congress in 1916 and fully implemented in 1917, the Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) serves as the perfect mechanism for training, development, character building, citizenship, service, and employment recruiting. With an average daily attendance of 96%, graduation rates of 98% and average GPA of 2.9, the Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps/ROTC is one of America's greatest institutions producing leaders such as General Douglas McArthur, General Colin Powell and WalMart Founder Sam Walton, to name a few. 2017 marks the centennial year of implementation of JROTC and its transformational leadership role in the lives of students from all cultural and socieoeconomic backgrounds; and

WHEREAS, JROTC serves high school students in the 9th through 12th grades and has 54 units. This Leadership and Character Development Program provides cadets with exposure to real-world experiences that many students never see. Through current workforce development programs such as LeaderSTATE at Mississippi State University, Institute of Health Careers at William Carey, JROTC-STEM Workforce Collaboration at Jackson State University and new programs at community colleges and universities, College Options Foundation is truly creating options through exposure for Mississippi's JROTC cadets; and

WHEREAS, College Options Foundation (COF) is a federally recognized 501(C)(3) not-for-profit organization that is dedicated to serving students of military families, cadets in JROTC and veterans returning to academic and civilian life in Mississippi. COF has partnered with Ms. Cynthia Skinner and Ben Minnifield in Mississippi in an effort to create synergistic partnerships with community colleges, higher education and private industry to promote workforce development in Mississippi; and

WHEREAS, understanding the critical role that workforce readiness plays in expanding Mississippi's economy College Options Foundation utilizes training and development modules that promote project-based learning through relevant subject matter and curriculum developed in partnership with both academia and industry. While College Options Foundation realizes that not every student aspires to attend a college or university, COF does fully understand that every student must have training platforms outside of the classroom that best introduces them to career training on higher educational campuses; and

WHEREAS, by working with Mississippi's Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC), College Options Foundation has aligned with the more than 12,000 cadets in the State of Mississippi who understand the vital importance of academic readiness, career readiness and talent retention in Mississippi; and

WHEREAS, in addition, College Options Foundation understands the specific targets areas of the Mississippi Development Authority and Governor Phil Bryant's vision for career readiness through the State Workforce Investment Board (SWIB) based upon the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). Industry sectors such as: Advanced Manufacturing, (auto, tire and furniture) Aerospace, health care, energy, shipbuilding, tourism and film, agribusiness, and technology and computer science are priorities areas for recruiting and the JROTC program supported by the College Options Foundation creates those career strategies needed that enhance career pathways; and

WHEREAS, the United States Departments of Labor and Education issued five rules implementing The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) is landmark legislation that is designed to strengthen and improve our nation's public workforce system and help get Americans, including youth and those with significant barriers to employment, into high-quality jobs and careers and help employers hire and retain skilled workers; and

WHEREAS, it is with great pride that we celebrate the strategic efforts promoting training, development, career exposure and workforce development, through Mississippi's JROTC program as we build leaders for life in an effort to retain talent that promotes Mississippi's expansion:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING THEREIN, That we do hereby commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the Junior Reserve Officer's Training Corps (JROTC) and recognize the efforts of this program to "Build Leaders for Life" in Mississippi.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution be presented to the College Options Foundation and the Director of Army Instruction for Mississippi's JROTC program, forwarded to the Governor, and made available to the Capitol Press Corps.