AccelerateMS, Mississippi’s lead office for workforce development strategy and coordination, announced the successful completion of the first cohort of graduates from a new statewide talent development academy.
The Facilitation Academy for Certified Excellence in Training, known as FACET, is designed to strengthen workforce learning across Mississippi by building high-impact facilitation and instructional excellence among learning and development professionals. The academy will offer multiple professional certifications to support instructors, facilitators, and workforce education leaders across a range of learning environments.
The pilot cohort was delivered by The Career Brand as a beta program in partnership with Northwest Mississippi Community College in Senatobia and included 14 graduates representing career and technical education and workforce instructors from the college.
“This first cohort proves what’s possible when Mississippi invests in the people who lead learning,” said Ty McCearley, senior manager of learning and development strategy at AccelerateMS. “These graduates didn’t just complete a rigorous program; they helped set a new statewide standard. We’re proud of what they accomplished through the FACET Academy pilot with Northwest and are excited to build what’s next.”
Participants completed an intensive five-day learning experience delivered in two phases from December 2025 through January. Graduates who successfully completed the program earned the inaugural Mississippi Certified Workforce Facilitator professional certification, known as MS-CWfF, issued by AccelerateMS.
Participants described the program as rigorous, practical, and immediately applicable, with instructors noting it would be valuable for educators and facilitators across disciplines.
“I love this program. It was full of material, constant learning, and constant improvement,” said Stacy Scott, workforce coordinator at Northwest Mississippi Community College. “It would benefit teachers, facilitators, and anyone in the organization.”
“I learned a lot, especially about content development,” said Anthony Dandridge, an HR instructor at Amplify Cell Technologies. “This program is beneficial and wonderful.”
“FACET is about raising the standard for how workforce training is delivered in Mississippi,” said Trey Smith, director of talent solutions at AccelerateMS. “By strengthening the people who train our workforce, we’re doing our part to help employers across the state access better-prepared talent. This first cohort set the bar, and we’re committed to scaling that impact statewide.”
Additional FACET Academy certifications are in development, with future offerings planned for industry and business partners. More details will be announced later this year.
To learn more about FACET, email Ty McCearley, Sr. Manager Learning & Development Strategy at tmccearley@acceleratems.org.