LITTLE ROCK, AK -- U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao and Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee announced a grant of approximately $5.9 million to help prepare Arkansas workers for advanced manufacturing careers as part of the President's High Growth Job Training Initiative. Chao and Huckabee were joined for the announcement in Little Rock by four community college presidents from Mid-South Community College, Arkansas Northeastern College, East Arkansas Community College and Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas.

Other key partners in the grant were the Department of Workforce Education, Arkansas Workforce Investment Board, Department of Higher Education and the Department of Economic Development.

"This $5.9 million grant under the President's High Growth Job Training Initiative will train at least 2,500 workers for promising careers and help build a pipeline of qualified workers to make Arkansas an even more attractive home for job-producing industries," said Secretary Chao.

Awarded to the Arkansas Department of Workforce Services, the grant will help establish regional skill centers that respond to local industry workforce needs. A high school-level advanced manufacturing program also will be set up with community college partners so students can earn credits toward a Baccalaureate of Applied Science degree.

Eastern Arkansas is experiencing an influx of automotive and advanced manufacturing plants whose demand for skilled employees will rise anywhere from more than 2,000 to an additional 3,000 workers. To meet that demand, the Arkansas Delta Training and Education Consortium will be created to increase the pipeline of workers prepared for the automotive and advanced manufacturing industries.

The President's High Growth Job Training Initiative is a strategic effort to prepare workers to take advantage of new job opportunities in high growth sectors of the American economy. For more information, visit doleta.gov/BRG/JobTrainInitiative.

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