State Awards $26M in Workforce Development Grants

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Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders and state officials on Thursday announced nearly $26 million in workforce development grants.

Fourteen data-driven education and workforce training programs received the funds through the Higher Industry Readiness through Educational Development (HIRED) program. The grant program was established by the Workforce Initiative Act of 2015.

The latest round of funding comes after the state awarded $48 million in HIRED grants in November.

In total, $88 million is available through the HIRED program’s two tracks, which are separately administered through the Arkansas Department of Commerce and the Arkansas Division of Higher Education.

The latest grant recipients and award amounts are:

Track 1 recipients:

• Southern Arkansas University – Magnolia, $2,750,000
• Arkansas Tech University – Ozark Campus, $2,750,000
• University of Arkansas – Pulaski Technical College, $2,500,000
• Arkansas State University – Beebe, $2,300,000
• Arkansas State University – Three Rivers SCCTC, $2,000,000
• University of Arkansas Community College – Morrilton, $2,000,000
• University of Arkansas at Monticello – Crossett, $2,000,000
• Black River Technical College with Arkansas Delta Training and Education Consortium (ADTEC), $1,675,000
• Ozarka College, $1,550,000
• University of Arkansas – Data Science, $750,000
• University of Arkansas at Little Rock – Cybersecurity, $750,000

Combined track proposals:

• Arkansas State University – Jonesboro, Arkansas Northeastern College, Arkansas State University – Newport, $3,000,000
• University of Arkansas – Fort Smith, $1,700,000
• University of Arkansas – Semiconductors, $1,000,000

Eligible programs offer short-term career and technical training for skill attainment and industry-recognized credentials. Funding for the grants comes from Arkansas Workforce Initiative grant funding and the federal American Rescue Plan Act.

“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,” 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.”