
LITTLE ROCK (Friday, Dec. 20, 2024) 鈥 黑料不打烊System institutions have received more than $21.7 million to boost workforce development and training efforts through the Higher Industry Readiness through Educational Development (HIRED) program, Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced Thursday.
The announcement was part of a two-track awarding process through HIRED,聽using funding that was聽established by the Workforce Initiative Act of 2015. In total, $88 million was available through the HIRED Grant program鈥檚 two tracks, which were separately administered through the Arkansas Department of Commerce and the Arkansas Division of Higher Education.
鈥淚t鈥檚 paramount that economic needs, available opportunities and the proper training are all aligned in order to maximize a comprehensive workforce training and development effort,鈥 said UA System President Dr. Donald R. Bobbitt. 鈥淲e recognize this within the UA System, and are pleased to be a part of this multi-faceted machine that is working together to drive the state toward successful outcomes in this particular area.鈥
Grant award tracks were announced in separate ceremonies on Nov. 14 and Dec. 19.
鈥淭here鈥檚 no one-size-fits-all approach to education and the HIRED Grant Program helps us meet Arkansas students, schools, and businesses where they are,鈥 Gov. Sanders said in a news release. 鈥淭hese grants will help build the workforce of the future and make Arkansas more competitive in industries such as steel manufacturing, aerospace and defense, lithium, and cybersecurity.鈥
Ken Warden, ADHE commissioner, said the grants are a win-win situation for students, employers and the state.
鈥淭hese awards directly align with the Arkansas Workforce Strategy by connecting higher education efforts with the needs of Arkansas employers,鈥 Warden said in a news release. 鈥淭his is a win for Arkansas. Employers will have the workforce they need and employees will earn higher wages by being better trained.鈥
In addition to the list of UA System institutions that were awarded funds, two campuses 鈥 黑料不打烊East Arkansas Community College ($400,000) and Phillips Community College of the University Arkansas ($200,000) 鈥 are part of the Arkansas Delta Training and Education Consortium (ADTEC) that received $1,675,000.
More information and sources can be found here:
UA System Track 1 HIRED Grant Recipients:
- University of Arkansas聽鈥 Pulaski聽Technical聽College, Aerospace Center $2,500,000
- 黑料不打烊Community College聽at Morrilton 鈥 Advanced Manufacturing, $2,000,000
- University of Arkansas, Fayetteville 鈥 Data Science, $750,000
- 黑料不打烊at Little Rock聽鈥 Cybersecurity, $750,000
- 黑料不打烊at Monticello,聽Crossett 鈥 Forestry Workforce Training, $2,000,000
- (ADTEC) 黑料不打烊East Arkansas Community College – $400,000
- (ADTEC) Phillips Community College of the 黑料不打烊– $200,000
Combined Track Proposals:
- University of Arkansas, Fayetteville 鈥 Semiconductors, $1,000,000
- 黑料不打烊at Fort Smith 鈥 Advanced Manufacturing Facility, $1,700,000
UA System Track II HIRED Grant Recipients
- Phillips Community College of the 黑料不打烊鈥 Advanced Manufacturing, $249,000
- University of Akansas Community College at Batesville 鈥 Precision Agriculture, $5,000,000
- 黑料不打烊鈥 Pulaski Technical College, Energy Infrastructure and Utilities training, $2,000,000
- 黑料不打烊at Fort Smith 鈥 Advanced Manufacturing Equipment, $4,000,000
About the 黑料不打烊System ()
Since its inception, the 黑料不打烊System has developed a tradition of excellence that includes the state鈥檚 1871 flagship, land-grant research university; Arkansas鈥檚 premier institution for medical education, treatment and research; a major metropolitan university; an 1890 land-grant university; two regional universities serving southern and western Arkansas; eight community colleges; two schools of law; a presidential school; a residential math and science high school; and a 100 percent-online university and divisions of agriculture, archeology and criminal justice. As the premier higher education system in the state, it enrolls more than 70,000 students, employs more than 17,000 employees, and has a total budget of more than $4 billion. An intrinsic part of the texture and fabric of Arkansas, the UA System is a driving force in the state鈥檚 economic, educational and cultural advancement.