Technical Training: Our Next Critical Infrastructure (Lisa Ferrell Commentary)

Welding, as featured above, is one the many pathways that students can take as Ferrell discusses. (Shutterstock)

In Arkansas, we have spent significant resources investing in key infrastructure, such as utilities, interstates, health care systems and more. However, for future growth, the most vital infrastructure is a productive workforce. Too many young Arkansans are being left out of opportunity. And the cost is not just financial; it is generational.

According to a study conducted by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, 16% of Americans ages 18-24, are “disconnected” from society, neither employed nor enrolled in school. In Arkansas, 17.6% of our youth fall into this category. In rural areas, the number is 19.8%. Disconnected youth face lower earnings, fewer career options and weaker civic connections. At the same time, employers are struggling to fill skilled trade roles. We can bridge this gap with investment in programs that provide educational opportunities and remove barriers. The University of Arkansas-Pulaski Technical College and the Academies of Central Arkansas are two examples of promising solutions.

Youth summer technical camps offered at UAPTC provide immersive, hands-on experience in fields like welding, 3D printing/computer numerical control, robotics and HVAC. Because area businesses fund full scholarships, these camps are accessible to students of all backgrounds. I have seen firsthand a high school student who participated in the welding camp go on to a successful welding career helping build critical infrastructure.

UAPTC deserves recognition for its visionary leadership as it works to close access gaps and connect students directly to industry.

The Academies of Central Arkansas provide another model. Their program connects high schoolers with partner employers like Lexicon, Baldwin & Shell, Baptist Health, Central Arkansas Water and more. Through these partnerships, students explore careers in health care, construction, IT and more, earning credentials and receiving mentorship.

We can reach more students by scaling programs that already work. To close opportunity gaps and grow Arkansas’ talent pipeline, we should expand models like those of UAPTC and the Academies of Central Arkansas, co-designing programs with employers to ensure relevance and job security. In addition, Arkansas should work to embed career awareness into K-12 education, encouraging students to consider their career path before high school graduation.

Arkansas should also work to ease the path of disconnected youth. The Fed study identified barriers including a lack of affordable child care, limited transportation and high tuition costs.

Investment and programming alone are not enough. We must track results, including student employment, income and retention; replicate programs with proven outcomes; and revise or retire programs that fall short. This ensures that every dollar spent delivers meaningful returns for students, employees and communities.

When a 17-year-old steps into a summer HVAC lab or a high school health sciences classroom, we are doing more than preparing a worker; we are building our state’s future. As our national population ages, we simply cannot afford to lose 17% of our young people to the plague of disconnection. Let’s scale what works, track what matters, and build Arkansas’ next generation, together.

Lisa Ferrell is a real estate developer and co-founder of the downtown North Little Rock riverfront neighborhood Rockwater Village & Marina. Previously a state legislator, she serves on the St. Louis Federal Reserve Real Estate Advisory Council.