Arkansas State Mountain Home to receive $450,000 from Delta workforce grant program

Arkansas State University-Mountain Home (ASUMH) will receive $450,000 from the Delta Workforce Grant Program through the Delta Regional Authority to establish an extrusion and injection molding program. It’s part of a $10 million investment in projects across eight states through the Delta Workforce Grant Program (DWP).

The grants address the employment and training needs of the local and regional workforce, created in collaboration with community partners and aligned with existing economic and workforce development plans and strategies.

“This significant grant award from the Delta Regional Authority is another indication that ASUMH is a leader in advanced manufacturing. These funds will allow for expanded and enhanced technology in extrusion and injection molding, and world-class workforce development for employers in our region will improve through these investments. ASUMH is excited to contribute local resources to match this critical educational infrastructure grant,” ASUMH Chancellor Dr. Bentley Wallace said.

The extrusion and injection molding training this grant will provide industry-driven training and workforce development in the Twin Lakes Area.

“There are several companies in our area that use extrusion and plastic injection molding,” said Dean Karen Heslep of ASUMH’s School of Business and Technology. “This DRA grant, combined with donations from Baxter and Danfoss, provides the resources needed to add curriculum to our existing programs so ASUMH graduates have the skills in using and maintaining this machinery. Partnerships with industry, such as these with Baxter and Danfoss, are the key to our being awarded grant funds.”

The training, which will take place at ASUMH’s Dr. Robert L. Myers Technical Education Campus, is designed to give ASUMH students the tools they need to be successful in a manufacturing career.

“These partnerships benefit our students through hands-on training, using the same equipment in use in our local manufacturing facilities, giving them a leg-up over job applicants without expertise and positioning them for promotions,” Heslep said.

The new training will be available in the 2023-2025 academic year and the classes will apply toward a degree in Mechatronics.