Clyde Muse, who for the last 39 years has served as president of the Hinds Community College system, spoke to Vicksburg Lions this week, making several points worth repeating.

Hinds Community College is the fourth largest institution of higher education in Mississippi and system-wide has about 19,000 students.

The Vicksburg campus of Hinds has about 3,000 students, more than some of the state’s private colleges.

Muse said the growth of the Vicksburg campus has been so significant the campus has run out of space, and the Hinds president said he has discussed with the Warren County Board of Supervisors a proposal to add a $10 million building at the Vicksburg campus.

But perhaps the most important message Muse shared was the demand for career and technical education. Students coming out of high school can prepare themselves for satisfying and lucrative careers through one of the technical education courses offered at Hinds in Vicksburg.

The school recently added a one-year welding certification program. Classes are available both day and night to accommodate students who must continue to work while taking courses. He said a number of welding jobs are available in the nearby Louisiana area.

To fill a specific need here, Hinds is also offering courses and training that will lead to a career on riverboats and moving cargo to other parts of the world by way of the nation’s waterways.

Hinds offers a seven and a half day deckhand training course, which is paid for by the Department of Labor’s Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College Career Training grant. Those who take that course can typically find employment quickly in the industry. The deckhand job typically has a salary range of $20,000 to $30,000 per year and offers lots of room for additional training and advancement.

These employees often find homes right here with Golding Barge, Yazoo River Towing and Magnolia Marine.

Hinds in Vicksburg also offers classes in residential carpentry, industrial maintenance, electrical technology, automotive technology, culinary arts and early childhood education.

Attending college no longer means a student will need or even want to go the four-year route. Increasingly, a good job calls for technical and vocational education. We’re glad Hinds is leading the way with that in our community.