Accelerate Arkansas To Unveil New Strategy
by September 24, 2007 12:00 am 80 views
On Oct. 2, Accelerate Arkansas will release its strategic recommendations to increase per-capita income across the state at six locations. The plan is a series of suggestions forming a road map to close the income gap in Arkansas.
The state ranks 48th in personal income per-capita, which, at $27,935, is above only West Virginia and Mississippi. The national average was $36,276 in 2006.
Central to the group’s goal of bringing Arkansas’ per-capita income to the national average by 2020 is the need to attract knowledge-based industry to Arkansas, while also ensuring the state’s workforce is prepared. This means focusing on science, engineering and math skills at all levels of education and across the state, said Mark Saviers, strategic plan committee chairman for Accelerate Arkansas.
Knowledge-based jobs include those not only in the field of technology, but in agriculture, advanced manufacturing and more, Saviers said.
Board members Tim McFarland and Mike Malone will host the Fayetteville meeting at 10:30 in the AT&T Conference Room at the Genesis Technology Incubator at 700 W. Research Center Blvd.