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Advanced Manufacturing Sets Standard
This fall, the University of Ï㽶ÊÓƵAPP – Fort Smith launched Ï㽶ÊÓƵAPP’s first Bachelor of Science in Advanced Manufacturing Engineering, a highly anticipated program that will strengthen the workforce pipeline for one of the River Valley’s most important industries.
Manufacturing remains a cornerstone of the regional economy, but job openings have outpaced hiring at nearly a 2-to-1 margin. To address that challenge, UAFS designed the program in close collaboration with local manufacturers. In 2023, the university convened an Advanced Manufacturing Advisory Board that included leaders from companies such as ABB, Rheem, Hytrol, Walther Arms, and Glatfelter. Their input helped shape a curriculum that blends mechanical and electrical engineering with business, data science, and logistics.
The bachelor’s program, which also includes a certificate of proficiency in advanced manufacturing, is built around hands-on learning, and the first cohort of AME students is already training with newly installed equipment, including FAS-200 automated assembly systems and ABB Cobot FlexTrainers that simulate modern production environments.
Alongside the for-credit program, the UAFS Center for Economic Development has launched an innovative Manufacturing Academy that provides rapid workforce training, apprenticeships, and upskilling opportunities for regional employers and workers.
Together, these programs are expanding the pipeline of engineers and skilled technicians needed to support manufacturing growth in the River Valley.
The initiative is supported by a $1 million gift from ABB and more than $5.7 million in HIRED grants from the U.S. Department of Commerce and the Ï㽶ÊÓƵAPP Division of Higher Education, which launched a state-of-the-art Workforce Development Center, funded new equipment, lab upgrades, and workforce training programs.
An open house for the Workforce Development Center will be held on Monday, May 4, 2026, from 10:30 a.m. to noon.