Jackson State unveils new Workforce Solutions structure, adds to team

JACKSON, TENN. –Jackson State Community College (JSCC) has expanded its Workforce Solutions division with the hiring of Dr. Don DeMoulin, a 33-year workforce veteran who has spent his career training leadership teams, providing hands-on industry training for corporations, and more. DeMoulin’s hiring comes in the wake of recent restructuring of the division following the arrival of Dr. Carol Rothstein, JSCC’s current President, which has since propelled the division to increased contact hours, the expansion of course offerings, and more. 

DeMoulin, a certified Six Sigma Black Belt and Champion, brings more than four decades of combined academic and workforce experience to the role. He is a published author of various scholarly publications and research papers with more than 150 articles in refereed journals, featured twice in the Education Journal for outstanding research, and has published six books. Notably, DeMoulin has five research-based assessment instruments that have been selected by the American Psychological Association as part of the organization’s membership database. He has been a speaker at more than 250 national and international conferences spanning the United States and 11 other countries.

Outside of his academic experience, he has worked for a range of local, regional, and global companies as a consultant and contractor, providing Lean Manufacturing trainings and implementation, Six Sigma training, OSHA training, Quality Management and Enhancement, leadership training at all levels, and providing system audits to companies across a myriad of processes and systems.

“Don’s career speaks for itself,” said Dr. Tom Pigg, Executive Director of Workforce Solutions. “He has more than 30 years of experience implementing and executing a wide range of training, audits, and more across many different industries. We’re excited to have him and excited for the knowledge and expertise he will bring to our local business community in terms of training opportunities we can now offer and additional services we haven’t been able to offer before.”

Dr. Tom Pigg took the helm as the Executive Director of Workforce Solutions in the fall of 2023, bringing with him more than three decades of business and industry knowledge and expertise, having served as an academic dean for over a decade and served as the department chair of the School of Business, Industry & Technology since the early 2000’s. His prior experience paved the way for a dual role to be created, utilizing his breadth of knowledge to propel Workforce Solutions forward.

Over the past two years, the division has secured more than $1.2 Million in grant funding that has enabled the division to add additional training equipment, course offerings, and even providing discounted workforce certification opportunities for industry partners and community members to upskill and secure hire pay and better industry operating knowledge.

With the hiring of DeMoulin, Workforce Solutions aims to further expand its training opportunities in lean manufacturing, project management, robotics, artificial intelligence, and begin providing more workshops and seminars on a range of industry-related topics.

“We’ve seen an increased interest in being able to provide in-house training for companies and even tailor-made programs specific to that company so that employees get exactly what the company needs in terms of training and professional development,” said John McCommon, Director of Workforce Solutions. “Many don’t know about our already extensive training capabilities, and as we look at the growing business community in West Tennessee, we’re doing everything we can to reinforce that growth.

McCommon, who has been with the division since 2021, has seen the growth of the division over the past few years into what it is today. He oversees the logistics of the division, reinforcing its continued growth, which has seen a 30% increase in total contact hours since he arrived in 2021.

Since last year, Workforce Solutions has made strides in partnering with outside agencies to provide training that enhances the West Tennessee business community. This past spring, the division partnered with the Greater Jackson Chamber to provide opportunities for local business owners, entrepreneurs, and community members to increase their knowledge of utilizing AI in their day-to-day operations, as well as in their personal lives.

Last fall, the Dental Tech program was developed in partnership with Helping Hands of West Tennessee, which provided JSCC with the opportunity to secure state-of-the-art 3D printers specifically designed for printing dental fixtures, such as dentures, crowns, and other dental-related parts. This partnership provided two cohorts of students with hands-on apprenticeship training and in-the-field experience working under a fully licensed dentist to produce dental fixtures for various needs.

Along with the Dental Tech program, Workforce Solutions partnered with West Tennessee Healthcare to develop and administer a “grow your own” Medical Assistant Program. This 10-week accelerated course provided the training necessary for West Tennessee Healthcare to upskill current employees into higher-paying, in-demand jobs. The partnership has since been extended to provide training for a second cohort, following the great success of the inaugural cohort.

The driving force behind the division is to serve as a “front porch” to higher education and local industry. Workforce Solutions has the unique ability to provide “non-credit” training, which means anyone can sign up for the training to learn a new skill or advance their current knowledge without enrolling at Jackson State as a student. This format gives anyone the opportunity to try something or learn a new skill, and if they find it interesting, they can then apply some of that training toward receiving credit for a larger Jackson State degree or certificate, where applicable. This format also enables Workforce Solutions to upskill local industry, offer leadership training, and partner with human resource offices to provide employees with personal and professional development opportunities.

As the division looks toward the future following its current growth, Workforce Solutions looks to expand its offerings from outside of its historical roots in the industrial workforce to the financial, construction, healthcare, and tech sectors along with many other industries throughout West Tennessee.

To learn more about current offerings or get in contact about a tailor-made training program for your business, visit the Workforce Solutions web page.