Community | Events | FeaturedMay 01, 2026

Gov. Sanders to Speak at Open House for Workforce Development & Advanced Manufacturing centers

Written By: Rachel Putman

The University of Arkansas at Fort Smith will celebrate the opening of its new Advanced Manufacturing and Workforce Development Centers with an open house and ribbon cutting from 10:30 a.m. to noon on Monday, May 4. Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders will keynote the celebration, with remarks beginning at 11 a.m.

Attendees must register in advance at bit.ly/uafs-wdc.

Remarks are scheduled from Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders; 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

Public tours will begin at noon, with instructors and students stationed throughout the labs to highlight training equipment, instructional activities, and workforce applications. Industry partners will also be on-site to demonstrate the technology's real-world application in the region. 

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,” Kendall Ross, Associate Vice Chancellor for Economic and Workforce Development, and event emcee, 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.

“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.

• Tags:
• Advanced Manufacturing
• Workforce Development