The Academies of Central Arkansas is a Chamber initiative being implemented within all four public school districts in Pulaski County. The model of teaching and learning transforms the public high school experience by blending core academics with career and technical education. Students see relevance and better engage with their math, science, English, and social studies when taught through the lens of an occupation or industry theme that interests them. The model connects students with real world applications, preparing them not only for college, but for career and life.
Learn more
Talent Initiatives
CREATING TALENT PIPELINES
The Little Rock Regional Chamber is committed to ensuring qualified talent exists in Central Arkansas. Through the Academies work in high school, customized training for adults and incumbent workers, to attracting new talent to call Little Rock home, the Chamber has a dedicated team focused to assist employers in finding the talent they need.
Academies of Central Arkansas
Customized Training
The Chamber works with employers to identify areas where customized training could help with hiring ramp-ups or the upskilling of their existing workers.
By partnering with training providers like UA-Pulaski Tech’s Business & Industry Center and Goodwill Industries of Arkansas, the Chamber can assist in providing customized solutions to meet employers’ labor demands.
Arkansas employers that provide customized training to their employees could be eligible for an Office of Skills Development grant to reimburse their training costs.
Talent Attraction
In 2023, the Chamber managed an incentive-based talent attraction initiative called the Little Rock Love Connection. We received more than 700 resumes from 37 states and 9 countries. Learn more
Labor Trends
The Little Rock Regional Chamber stays abreast of labor trends in the region by conducting employer surveys, hosting industry roundtables and monitoring national data. This data is shared with employers to ensure they have the information they need to remain competitive in the labor market. Learn more
Education
The Little Rock region offers school choice among several outstanding public, charter, and private schools options.
Education Initiatives
The Little Rock region is home to many organizations that support education in central Arkansas.
Employer Resources
Arkansas Workforce Centers provide direct hiring assistance to employers. Included in that assistance is the Arkansas JobLink system for posting jobs online and searching resumes of potential candidates registered with the system. For more information about the hiring assistance they provide, contact Rani Cooksey the Business Services/HR Manager at the Arkansas Workforce Center at Little Rock. Learn more
ACT National Career Readiness Certificate and Job Profiling - The State of Arkansas has partnered with ACT to deliver the National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC) to assist companies with identification of applicants who meet job requirements. The NCRC is an evidence-based credential that certifies essential skills for workplace success. Job seekers earn an NCRC by completing assessments in Applied Math, Workplace Documents and Graphic Literacy. Based on the results of these assessments, they are awarded an NCRC at one of four levels: Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum. Employers may have their jobs profiled to produce a customized task list identifying the skills required for the position. Once profiled, the employer can identify the level of NCRC certificate required for their position. Employers interested in having their jobs profiled may contact Justin Majors, Director of Existing Business at the Arkansas Economic Development Commission.
Future Fit is a program designed to enhance technical skills for individuals seeking entry-level employment in advanced manufacturing. Upon course completion, graduates would have studied blueprints, machine operation, safety, interpersonal skills and more. Partnering companies have first access to hire students completing the program. To learn more, contact Grace Sandlin at UA - Pulaski Technical College. Learn more
The Academy at Goodwill offers learning opportunities to non-traditional students allowing for credentials and certificates upon completion. The central Arkansas location offers courses in business administration, healthcare, information technology and skilled trades. Employers looking to hire in these fields should consider graduates from Goodwill's Academy. Learn more
Little Rock Job Corps provides free career training and education for 16- through 24-year-olds while they reside at a Job Corps center. Job Corps students receive hands-on career training, earn credentials in their respective industries, and take classes to strengthen employability skills to ensure they are ready to go to work with partnering companies upon graduation. Learn more
Reentry Services at Goodwill provides services to individuals wo are reentering the workforce and community after incarceration. The program provides transitional employment opportunities, 16-week paid job training, employability assessments, job readiness skills, a Career Readiness Certificate, career planning, job search and resume assistance. Employers open to second-chance hiring should consider candidate who have participated in Goodwill's Reentry Services. Learn more
Hiring Events - the Chamber occasionally partners with industry and the local workforce centers to host hiring events for employers with large expansion openings or new location ramp-ups. Contact Kristi Barr at the Chamber or Rani Cooksey at the Workforce Center to learn more.
Need more information on workforce development?
Contact Kristi Barr
Director of Talent Initiatives
501.377.6017