NATCHEZ &045; To varying degrees, local college and university officials say they’re optimistic about the placement of this May’s graduates in the workforce.

Perhaps no one more so, however, than those who are training today’s students to become tomorrow’s nurses.

In 2004, the most recent year available, registered nurses topped the Mississippi Employment Security Commission’s list of the &uot;50 Hottest Jobs&uot; in the state, based on both wages and annual demand for graduates.

&uot;We’re telling (graduates) the job market is excellent,&uot; said Dr. Mary Hill, dean of Alcorn State University’s School of Nursing. &uot;That (market) is traditionally strong and is remaining so.&uot;

This May, Alcorn will graduate 28 students with associate degrees in nursing, 25 with bachelors of science in nursing and 17 with master’s degrees.

As far as Alcorn as a whole is concerned, the university’s first mission is to encourage bachelor degree students to pursue graduate or professional school, said Al W. Johnson, director of placement services.

And it reaches that goal, with more than 50 percent of students going on to such schools in 2004, according to Alcorn’s figures.

But for those seeking to jump into the workforce, Johnson has one main piece of advice &045; don’t be tied down to one geographical area. Instead, be willing to move where you find the best job.

For those willing to move, however, the picture looks relatively good nationwide.

Johnson cited a survey by the Nationa Association of Colleges and Employers that stated employers planed to raise by 13.1 percent the numbers of graduates hired in this academic year.

&uot;According to that, there should be a slight upshift in hiring (in areas from) nursing to real estate,&uot; said Johnson, whose university will hold graduation May 7.

That’s especially true, Johnson said, in such &uot;hot&uot; areas as nursing and teaching. Secondary and elementary teaching ranked fifth and sixth in the Employment Security Commission’s list of the &uot;50 Hottest Jobs&uot; in 2004.

Still, in-state school districts aren’t the only ones seeking Alcorn graduates. On Monday, at the university’s Teacher Recruitment Day event, more than half of the 70 to 75 districts represented will be from out of state, Johnson said.

Kaye Harris, assistant dean of career and technical education at Copiah-Lincoln Community College’s Natchez campus, also cited recent job statistics.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the top five fastest growing employment areas for 1996-2006 were as follows:

4Computer and data processing services, with 108 percent growth.

4Health services, at 68 percent.

4Management and public relations, at 60 percent.

4Miscellaneous transportation services, 60 percent.

4Residential care, at 59 percent.

Co-Lin’s Natchez campus offers training in all five areas, with 100 percent job placement in the respiratory care and licensed practical nursing fields.

A health care assistant program &uot;will begin this fall, and we expect the same results here,&uot; Harris said. &uot;Many of these graduates go to work locally, but they could also travel nation wide and find excellent jobs.&uot;

Co-Lin, which is graduating about 200 students Friday, also offers marketing management technology, office systems technology and truck driving programs, among a variety of other two-year degree programs.

The college’s career and technical faculty and staff assist each graduate in finding a job, Harris said.

&uot;We stay in close contact with our local businesses and industries so that we are aware when openings occur,&uot; Harris said.

&uot;We get many calls asking for recommendations, and we feel that we are assisting our graduates as well as helping our businesses Š find the right employees.&uot;