Hutchinson: Focused on Economic Development Through Education, Trips Abroad

Asa Hutchinson

More than 4,000 high school students in Arkansas are enrolled for the first time in computer coding classes, Gov. Asa Hutchinson said Thursday.

Hutchinson, who spoke briefly at the 87th annual Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce and Associated Industries of Arkansas meeting at the Statehouse Convention Center in Little Rock, said the number marks a 250 percent increase compared to last year.

The number is also two-thirds of the way toward a four-year goal set by the governor’s computer education program, which is less than a year old.

“I am focused on economic development, but there are a lot of parts to that,” Hutchinson said. “Job skill development and career education are two of those.”

During the legislative session in the spring, Hutchinson pushed through a law that requires all high schools in the state to offer computer science courses.

The requirement — and the back-end work to put it in place, including teacher training and certification — brought Arkansas to the forefront of coding education in the country, earning Arkansas national recognition.

Hutchinson is also looking much further than the educational system to help grow the state’s economic development.

Earlier this week he met with business leaders in Dallas and Washington D.C., and on Sunday he leaves for a business recruitment trip to Asia. He will spend three days in Japan and five in China.

Hutchinson and Arkansas Economic Development Commission Executive Director Mike Preston will make several stops in both countries to recruit new prospects to the state and meet with companies that already have operations in Arkansas.

He said Japan already has 18 businesses with employees in Arkansas; China has none.

“It is important to market the state,” Hutchinson said. “It takes a governor to market this state and it’s important that I do.”

Speaking to reporters after his remarks, Hutchinson added that he hopes to assure Chinese officials of the country’s biosecurity. He said he wants to invite China’s top agriculture official to visit Arkansas and see the biosecurity measures that are in place for exports such as poultry.

Hutchinson said the trip will help open more doors for the state and boost investment from the countries. He told reporters afterward that he hopes to attract Chinese businesses to the state, but said doing so will take time.

(The Associated Press contributed to this story.)