Vocational Training Gains Ground in Arkansas with Issue 1’s Approval

Issue 1 allows Arkansas Lottery funds to be used for scholarships at vocational and technical schools. (Karen E. Segrave)

Mark Moreland said he believes the passage of Issue 1 on Nov. 5 will bring respect to the vocational education world.

Nearly 90% of Arkansas voters approved the ballot issue, which will allow Arkansas Lottery proceeds to be used for vocational and technical school scholarships. Previously, lottery proceeds were only available at two- and four-year colleges and universities.

Moreland, the director of public relations and marketing at Northwest Technical Institute in Springdale, said the school celebrated the overwhelming passage of Issue 1. “We were jumping up and down, trust me,” Moreland said.

Most workforce experts have said for years that Arkansas needed to promote skilled trades and create a more robust pipeline of skilled workers. 

“Part of what I’ve been fighting is there’s still a stigma out there, and if you don’t go to a four-year school, you’re some kind of loser or you’re just lazy,” Moreland said. “And part of this passing and getting that much attention will help show people that, hey, learning a skilled trade is something to take pride in.”

U.S. Rep. Steve Womack, R-Ark., said more needs to be done to promote the trade-school route for high school graduates. A traditional university isn’t the right choice for everyone.

“We have a lot of kids here that we’re trying to channel into college that don’t belong in college,” Womack said. “They belong in those trade programs.

“But we need to create a campus up here far beyond what NWTI does, or far beyond what these small programs in these high schools do. We need a campus up here for the trades. We need a major graduate-level blue collar school.”