An ambitious plan for businesses to help build Pulaski County high schools into workforce and college launching pads is finally blasting off.
The COVID pandemic paused the countdown, but the mission goes on, according to the Little Rock Regional Chamber.
About 11,000 students at 11 area high schools are set to get industry introductions, job shadowing and internship possibilities and curriculum guidance from more than 80 partner companies in the Academies of Central Arkansas program.
The idea is to align education with workforce needs of businesses by offering workaday world exposure and skills, according to Markous Jewett, a former schoolteacher and now the Little Rock Chamber’s point man on the project. Pulaski County’s four other chambers of commerce are also involved.
Planning for the academies began six years ago with a trip by chamber officials, educators and industry leaders to Nashville, Tennessee, where schools had adopted the Ford Next Generation Learning system of public education. Sponsored by Ford Motor Co., NGL describes itself as a “unique approach to learning that better prepares high school students for career success” in modern times.
Officials finished Pulaski County’s NGL master plan in 2020. Then the pandemic came.
‘COVID Happened’
“We had the whole community rallying behind us when COVID happened,” Jewett said. “We immediately had to pause it, because we had to figure out how to do school through a pandemic. And what does this look like in a model that relies so heavily on engagement with business and industry?”
Implementation slowly went on, and the schools’ ninth, 10th and 11th graders are involved this school year. In 2025-26, the program will open to all grades in Little Rock, North Little Rock, Pulaski County and Jacksonville high schools.
“The Academies of Central Arkansas have been a top priority of the Little Rock Regional Chamber for more than six years now,” Chamber President and CEO Jay Chesshir said. Researching the FNG approach, “we saw firsthand other communities who had seen significant improvements in educational outcomes through true partnerships between the business community, institutions of higher education and their high school campuses.”
Those results excited him, he said. “Now, we’re already seeing similar outcomes here in metro Little Rock. And, we’re not even to full implementation at all of our high school campuses in Pulaski County. Once there, we believe this is an economic game changer for our regional growth and the talented people who live here.”
The goal is for students to graduate truly prepared to go to college, trade school or straight into the workforce, said Jewett, whose title with the chamber is vice president, Academies of Central Arkansas. Skills include problem-solving, communication and technical expertise prized by high-demand industries.
For example, students interested in health care can enter the Baptist Health or Arkansas Children’s academies. Potential bankers can pick the First Arkansas Bank & Trust, First National Bank or Telcoe Federal Credit Union academies.
The program has 12 “Academy Partners,” companies and organizations that committed to investing $150,000 of “in-kind, time and talent in year one, then $50,000 each year after that, “Jewett said. “It’s not just writing a check,” he said. “Of course that’s appreciated, too.”
So far, 80 partners across dozens of industries have pledged 10,000 hours to the academies for speaking, hosting tours and mentoring. The school districts’ existing certified teachers lead the classes, supplemented by industry veterans who come to speak or lead activities.
The chamber sees the academies as a local talent pipeline, but also as a drawing card for central Arkansas as an attractive place to live and work. Retaining local students as adults and attracting families and companies for economic development go hand in hand, Jewett said.
“We want future residents and businesses to choose our public high schools because of the academy experience,” Jewett said.
Little Rock construction company Baldwin & Shell announced in May that it’s a new major partner and sponsor of the Baldwin & Shell Academy of Building, Automotive & Design at Jacksonville High School. The company will participate in career exposure events and offer scholars field trips, job shadowing and potential internships. Nearer to graduation, students can gain concurrent credit for higher education or industry-recognized credentials.
“We are excited to pour into students some of our knowledge and experience in order to excite them about this world we call construction,” Baldwin & Shell CEO Bobby Gosser said at the time.
Jacksonville’s Coach
Jennifer Jamison, the academy coach at Jacksonville High School, where about 1,250 students are participating, spent 11 years in corporate human resources before becoming a business teacher.
Now her job is to manage all academy-related activities.
“I think when I get done with this job, I’ll be an event planner, because I do all of the logistics and make sure everything is in line to support every activity, and make sure every engagement goes smoothly.”
She said she immediately saw value in the academy approach. “In 2019, I was one of the teachers selected to go and see that model at work, and I fell in love with it.”
There was no academy coach position at that time. “We didn’t know that we would need one, so I was assigned to be the freshman seminar teacher.” When the school added the academy coach position, she applied and got the job.
Ninth graders hear guest speakers in the seminar class, and will attend a Career Expo for 3,500 freshmen from all participating schools at Statehouse Convention Center in November. “Last year we had 102 employer partners participate, Jewett said.
Students pick an academy as their focus for the 10th through 12th grades. If they change their minds, they have one chance to switch to another academy.
Freshmen also get a glimpse of college. “I put together five different college visit opportunities for our 360 ninth graders,” Jamison said. “They pick a school and visit it.”
College exposure events continue through graduation, Jewett said.
“Our portrait of a graduate is for them to have those 21st century workforce readiness skills, the soft and hard skills to succeed in a career right away,” Jewett said. “Or, to go on and be successful through two years, four years, six years or eight years at college. The academy model brings all of that to campus through the relationships with our business partners.”
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