$8 million in workforce training grants announced

Gov. Asa Hutchinson announced Tuesday (March 15) the award of more than $8 million in grants to economic and workforce development partnerships to create training opportunities for in-demand skills and certifications.

The funding comes from the Office of Skills Development (OSD), a division of the Arkansas Department of Commerce.

Robotics, cyber security, rural forestry, and truck driver training are just some of the workforce initiatives around the state receiving grant funding from this round of money.

“It is critical for the state to invest in workforce development to help private industry and public education prepare for the future,” said Arkansas Secretary of Commerce Mike Preston. “Instead of short-term intervention to relieve an immediate crisis or need, the strategy of the Arkansas Department of Commerce is to be proactive, helping to fund innovative programs that anticipate future workforce needs. The over $8 million in grants awarded today support programs that focus on providing training for in-demand skills that will benefit Arkansas for generations to come.”

Grant recipients include:

• The University of Arkansas Little Rock – $1.956 million for the development of a regional Cyber Learning-to-Employment (L2E) ecosystem which will provide cyber security training.
• Forge Institute – $1.68 million for training up to 240 individuals in IT and cybersecurity over a three-year period, preparing graduates to enter the workforce of companies like Acxiom, Edafio, GSK, and others.
• Black River Technical College – $1.339 million for the development of CDL truck driver training offered at no cost to individuals. This program has the potential of training up to 500 drivers within the next three years.
• ASU Mountain Home – $1.239 million for the development of a composites program that serves marine manufacturing.
• ASU Beebe – Searcy Campus – $686,661 for the development of a robotics curriculum designed to prepare students who wish to become Robotics Technicians.
• Clark County Workforce Training Group (CCWTG) – $421,315 for regional Millwright and Industrial Maintenance Training.
• South Arkansas Community College – $259,211 for the development of a rural forestry workforce training program, which will include non-credit training, as well as certificate programs, technical certificates, and Associate degrees. This training meets the growing need of the forestry industry in Ashley County and the surrounding south Arkansas region.
• The Innovation Hub at Winrock International – $246,295 for Skills to Launch Training that provides new opportunities for participants committed to a career within the construction and manufacturing sectors including Industrial Maintenance, Energy Efficiency, HVAC, Construction, Roofing, and other fields.
• North Arkansas College – $226,000 for expansion of their CDL Truck Driving and Manufacturing programs.