ASU-Beebe is honored to be part of the announcement on Dec. 19 by Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders and the Arkansas Division of Higher Education, awarding nearly $9 million to Arkansas State University System campuses to advance workforce development across the state.
“We are thrilled to receive $2.3 million to establish the Arkansas AgriSmartIQ Focus Center, which will serve as the education hub for precision agriculture and related disciplines,” said Dr. Jason Goodner, vice chancellor for academics at ASU-Beebe. “This initiative will provide transformative opportunities for our students and further our mission of connecting education to the needs of Arkansas industries. This funding will enable ASU-Beebe to lead in precision agriculture education, preparing students for careers important to the state while supporting Arkansas' agricultural innovation."
Read the full announcement below:
Gov. Sanders and ADHE Award ASU System Campuses $9 Million for Workforce Training
By Jeff Hankins, ASU System Vice President for Strategic Communications & Economic Development
LITTLE ROCK — Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders and the Arkansas Division of Higher Education today announced that Arkansas State University System campuses in Jonesboro, Beebe, Newport, West Memphis and Malvern will receive nearly $9 million combined for four training grants to support statewide workforce development efforts.
The grants include:
Arkansas State University and ASU-Newport – $3 million with Arkansas Northeastern College in Blytheville for a joint effort that focuses on stacked credentials in the areas of advanced manufacturing, food processing and steel production.
ASU-Beebe – $2.3 million for design and implementation of the Arkansas AgriSmartIQ Focus Center, which will serve as the education hub for precision agriculture and related disciplines in the state.
ASU Three Rivers and Saline County Career Technical Center – $2 million to establish “SalineSync,” an innovative workforce training consortium that will serve as a comprehensive career pathways initiative focusing on career exploration, skills training and industry engagement. Its flagship project will be development of an Aerospace and Defense Regional Focus Center in Benton.
ASU Mid-South and ASU-Newport – $1.675 million as part of a plan with the Arkansas Delta Training and Education Consortium and Black River Technical College.
The grants were part of nearly $26 million awarded to institutions across the state for projects aligned with the Arkansas Workforce Strategy. Funding is through the Higher Industry Readiness through Education Development (HIRED) program, established by the Workforce Initiative Act of 2015.
“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. “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."
ASU System President Brendan Kelly thanked the governor and workforce agencies for their support of the system’s initiatives.
“As we work to connect students to careers in Arkansas, these investments will accelerate and enhance our efforts,” Kelly said. “We thank the governor, her workforce cabinet leadership and the General Assembly for their support in providing critical funding that enables us to advance these initiatives. We are also grateful to our many business and industry partners across the state who help us engage with and train students.”
Arkansas Division of Higher Education Commissioner Ken Warden said: “These awards directly align with the Arkansas Workforce Strategy by connecting higher education efforts with the needs of Arkansas employers. This is a win for Arkansas. Employers will have the workforce they need and employees will earn higher wages by being better trained.”
The HIRED grants are intended to provide funding for state and regional industry-driven partnerships and data-driven education and workforce training programs. Funding for the grants comes from Arkansas Workforce Initiative grant funding and American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds.
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