Bridging the Gap Between HS and Workforce

The Path That Pays

Presenters: Debbie Anglin, Paige Roberts

Paige Roberts and Debbie Anglin will present this engaging workshop at our conference. Bridging the gap between high school and workforce has been one of the primary focuses of the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce’s Education IMG group. Candid discussions between school officials and those in workforce human resources departments have revealed a number of challenges in having qualified employees ready to enter the workforce. Getting students and their parents to understand the importance of having those necessary, basic skills employers are seeking has been an ongoing mission of this IMG group.

Paige Roberts is the owner of EPIC Enterprises, LLC, a company focused on education, public relations and fundraising initiatives. She is currently one of two project managers for Pathways2Possibilities: P2P, an interactive, hands-on career expo for 8th graders in 37 counties across Mississippi. For seven years she served as the executive director of the Southeast Mississippi Chapter of the American Red Cross, followed by a year as the interim state director of public affairs and financial development for the American Red Cross of Mississippi. She also served for seven years on the advanced public affairs team for National Red Cross, deploying to high-profile disasters nationwide to handle national media and serve as a liaison for VIPs.

Debbie Anglin is the director of communications for the Pascagoula-Gautier School District and has served as the chair for the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce’s Education Issue Manager Group for the past three years. A former president of Mississippi Association of Partners in Education, she currently serves on the MAPE board of directors.