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LITTLE ROCK (Friday, Dec. 20, 2024) — ����ӰԺ 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 UA System President Dr. Donald R. Bobbitt. “We 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.”

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 UA System institutions that were awarded funds, two campuses — University of Arkansas 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:

• UA System Workforce Training Initiatives

UA System Track 1 HIRED Grant Recipients:

• University of Arkansas – Pulaski Technical College, Aerospace Center $2,500,000
• University of Arkansas Community College at Morrilton – Advanced Manufacturing, $2,000,000
• University of Arkansas, Fayetteville – Data Science, $750,000
• University of Arkansas at Little Rock – Cybersecurity, $750,000
• University of Arkansas at Monticello, Crossett – Forestry Workforce Training, $2,000,000
• (ADTEC) University of Arkansas East Arkansas Community College – $400,000
• (ADTEC) Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas – $200,000

Combined Track Proposals:

• University of Arkansas, Fayetteville – Semiconductors, $1,000,000
• University of Arkansas at Fort Smith – Advanced Manufacturing Facility, $1,700,000

UA System Track II HIRED Grant Recipients

• Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas – Advanced Manufacturing, $249,000
• University of Akansas Community College at Batesville – Precision Agriculture, $5,000,000
• University of Arkansas – Pulaski Technical College, Energy Infrastructure and Utilities training, $2,000,000
• University of Arkansas at Fort Smith – Advanced Manufacturing Equipment, $4,000,000

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Since its inception, the ����ӰԺ 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 UA System is a driving force in the state’s economic, educational and cultural advancement.