Gov. Sanders Keynotes Workforce Development & Advanced Manufacturing Open House

Written By: Rachel Putman

The University of Arkansas at Fort Smith celebrated the opening of its new Advanced Manufacturing and Workforce Development Centers with an open house and ribbon cutting Monday, May 4, welcoming Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, state leaders, industry partners, university officials, students, and community members to campus.

Sanders delivered keynote remarks during the celebration, calling the opening “an incredible day for Fort Smith” and connecting the new facilities to her administration’s focus on workforce preparation.

“Workforce readiness has been one of my administration’s number one priorities, and this facility represents a key piece of that,” Sanders said. “Part of why I love it so much is because this wasn’t a huge top-down government-first strategy. Instead, this was the school and the business community in Fort Smith coming together and making it a reality.”

Remarks were also delivered by Cody Waits, executive director of Workforce Connections; Jacob Oliva, Arkansas Secretary of Education; Jay Silveria, president of the University of Arkansas System; and Dr. Terisa Riley, UAFS chancellor. Kendall Ross, associate vice chancellor for economic and workforce development, served as emcee.

Following the ribbon cutting, guests toured the new labs, where instructors, students, and industry partners highlighted training equipment, instructional activities, and workforce applications designed to support the region’s growing advanced manufacturing sector.

The pair of new centers are designed to respond to a growing need for workforce development and engineering training in the advanced manufacturing sector both in the Fort Smith region and across Arkansas. Equipment and renovation was funded by nearly $7 Million in investment, with a $1 Million gift from ABB and a pair of state HIRED grants that totaled $5.7 Million. 

“The Fort Smith metro has a clear and urgent need for continued investment in workforce development and advanced manufacturing,” Ross said.

Ross said manufacturing remains one of the region’s most important economic drivers, accounting for 17.5% of local employment, while goods-producing industries make up 22% of area jobs. At the same time, employers continue to face shortages of skilled workers needed for production, maintenance, automation, engineering, and technology integration.

The Workforce Development Center will expand short-term, employer-driven training for unemployed, underemployed, and incumbent workers through the Manufacturing Academy, apprenticeship expansion, and technical upskilling in areas such as PLCs, robotics, mechatronics, instrumentation, additive manufacturing, and industrial automation.

The Advanced Manufacturing Lab will support longer-term workforce development through for-credit pathways, including the new Bachelor of Science in Advanced Manufacturing Engineering program, stackable certificates, and early college pathways for high school students.

Sanders also highlighted UAFS student Hunter Cleveland, a third-year electrical engineering student and electrical lead for the UAFS robotics team, as an example of the students who will benefit from the university’s growing advanced manufacturing and engineering pathways.

“When he earns his degree, Hunter is going to be part of the next generation of Arkansas’ workforce,” Sanders said, “not just working for great companies like ABB, but potentially even imagining and building the homegrown great companies of the future.”

“Together, these facilities create a continuum from rapid workforce entry to advanced engineering preparation,” Ross said.

Ross said employers increasingly need workers and engineers who can operate in Industry 4.0 environments that include robotics, automation, data analytics, control systems, additive manufacturing, and artificial intelligence-enabled processes.

“In short, the Workforce Development Center and Advanced Manufacturing Lab represent a strategic response to one of the Fort Smith metro’s greatest economic opportunities: developing a larger, more skilled, and more future-ready workforce,” he said.

Sanders closed her remarks by thanking campus leaders, business leaders, state officials, and UAFS students.

“We want students in every single part of our state, from the River Valley to the Delta, to be well-prepared for the jobs of the future,” Sanders said. “And I’m proud to say that Fort Smith is helping lead the way.”

• Tags:
• Workforce Development
• Advanced Manufacturing