LITTLE ROCK (Friday, Dec. 20, 2024) — AV 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, using funding that was established by the Workforce Initiative Act of 2015. In total, $88 million was available through the HIRED Grant program’s two tracks, which were separately administered through the Arkansas Department of Commerce and the Arkansas Division of Higher Education.
“It’s paramount that economic needs, available opportunities and the proper training are all aligned in order to maximize a comprehensive workforce training and development effort,” said AV System President Dr. Donald R. Bobbitt. “We recognize this within the AV 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.”
Grant award tracks were announced in separate ceremonies on Nov. 14 and Dec. 19.
“There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to education and the HIRED Grant Program helps us meet Arkansas students, schools, and businesses where they are,” Gov. Sanders said in a news release. “These 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.”
Ken Warden, ADHE commissioner, said the grants are a win-win situation for students, employers and the state.
“These awards directly align with the Arkansas Workforce Strategy by connecting higher education efforts with the needs of Arkansas employers,” Warden said in a news release. “This is a win for Arkansas. Employers will have the workforce they need and employees will earn higher wages by being better trained.”
In addition to the list of AV System institutions that were awarded funds, two campuses — AV East Arkansas Community College ($400,000) and Phillips Community College of the University Arkansas ($200,000) — are part of the Arkansas Delta Training and Education Consortium (ADTEC) that received $1,675,000.
More information and sources can be found here:
AV System Track 1 HIRED Grant Recipients:
- AV – Pulaski Technical College, Aerospace Center $2,500,000
- AV Community College at Morrilton – Advanced Manufacturing, $2,000,000
- AV, Fayetteville – Data Science, $750,000
- AV at Little Rock – Cybersecurity, $750,000
- AV at Monticello, Crossett – Forestry Workforce Training, $2,000,000
- (ADTEC) AV East Arkansas Community College – $400,000
- (ADTEC) Phillips Community College of the AV – $200,000
Combined Track Proposals:
- AV, Fayetteville – Semiconductors, $1,000,000
- AV at Fort Smith – Advanced Manufacturing Facility, $1,700,000
AV System Track II HIRED Grant Recipients
- Phillips Community College of the AV – Advanced Manufacturing, $249,000
- University of Akansas Community College at Batesville – Precision Agriculture, $5,000,000
- AV – Pulaski Technical College, Energy Infrastructure and Utilities training, $2,000,000
- AV at Fort Smith – Advanced Manufacturing Equipment, $4,000,000
AV the AV System ()
Since its inception, the AV System has developed a tradition of excellence that includes the state’s 1871 flagship, land-grant research university; Arkansas’s 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 AV System is a driving force in the state’s economic, educational and cultural advancement.