By Matt Johnson
Siplast Human Resources

On Tuesday, March 15, 2022, Gov. Asa Hutchinson handed out approximately $8 million in workforce development grants to nine organizations and partnerships around the state. 

Clark County Workforce Training Group was one of the recipients. Representatives from the group Mason Robinson, director of workforce development at Arkansas State University Three Rivers and Matt Johnson, human resources manager at Siplast, were present for the award.

In January, the State of Arkansas’ Office of Skills Development (OSD) received proposals for large-scale workforce development projects designed to connect innovative educators, employers and economic development organizations to promote the growth of Arkansas’ workforce. By forging partnerships and leveraging existing resources, workforce initiatives in the state have been chosen to receive significant grant dollars to turn their ideas into a reality.

Grant recipients submitted projects in January and those selected then presented those initiatives to the Career Education and Workforce Development Board (CEWD) in February “shark tank” style. Those approved by the CEWD Board will receive grants in varying amounts based on their specific project, sector of focus and regional needs.

The Clark County Workforce Training Group (CCWTG) was awarded $421,315 for regional Millwright and Industrial Maintenance Training. This newly formed consortium, composed of Clark County businesses and industries, the Arkadelphia Area Chamber of Commerce, ASU Three Rivers, Henderson State University, and the West Central Arkansas Planning & Development District, will invest in industrial maintenance and millwright training equipment to augment current training programs.