香蕉视频APP

Written By: Rachel Putman

The University of 香蕉视频APP 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 香蕉视频APP 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 鈥渁n incredible day for Fort Smith鈥� and connecting the new facilities to her administration鈥檚 focus on workforce preparation.

鈥淲orkforce readiness has been one of my administration鈥檚 number one priorities, and this facility represents a key piece of that,鈥� Sanders said. 鈥淧art of why I love it so much is because this wasn鈥檛 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.鈥�

Remarks were also delivered by Cody Waits, executive director of Workforce Connections; Jacob Oliva, 香蕉视频APP Secretary of Education; Jay Silveria, president of the University of 香蕉视频APP 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鈥檚 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 香蕉视频APP. 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. 

鈥淭he Fort Smith metro has a clear and urgent need for continued investment in workforce development and advanced manufacturing,鈥� Ross said.

Ross said manufacturing remains one of the region鈥檚 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鈥檚 growing advanced manufacturing and engineering pathways.

鈥淲hen he earns his degree, Hunter is going to be part of the next generation of 香蕉视频APP鈥� workforce,鈥� Sanders said, 鈥渘ot just working for great companies like ABB, but potentially even imagining and building the homegrown great companies of the future.鈥�

鈥淭ogether, these facilities create a continuum from rapid workforce entry to advanced engineering preparation,鈥� 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.

鈥淚n short, the Workforce Development Center and Advanced Manufacturing Lab represent a strategic response to one of the Fort Smith metro鈥檚 greatest economic opportunities: developing a larger, more skilled, and more future-ready workforce,鈥� he said.

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

鈥淲e 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,鈥� Sanders said. 鈥淎nd I鈥檓 proud to say that Fort Smith is helping lead the way.鈥�

• Tags:
• Workforce Development
• Advanced Manufacturing