SENATOBIA, Miss. (AP) — Hershey Co.'s Memphis plant has struck up a deal with Northwest Mississippi Community College to provide workers through the college's career-technical education division.

Company officials tell The Commercial Appeal (http://bit.ly/ZuHphW ) the chocolate maker was seeking a partner to train workers for the company's recent shift toward mechatronics, a field of engineering that integrates mechanics, electronics, control theory and computer science.

After visiting various community colleges in the tri-state area, Bradford Sims of Hershey said the company found the curriculum it was looking for at Senatobia-based Northwest. Sims is maintenance manager for the Memphis plant.

Sims has already selected one apprentice from NWCC who will begin a Hershey-tailored curriculum this spring, paid by Hershey.

Those completing the specialized curriculum will earn an Associate of Applied Science degree in industrial electronics engineering technology.

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Information from: The Commercial Appeal, http://www.commercialappeal.com