U of A to Play Key Role in State's Ready for Life Workforce Program

The University of Arkansas Global Campus will be a partner in the state's Ready for Life initiative designed to link Arkansas workers with new career opportunities.

The Ready for Life program is projected to benefit both workers and employers by providing a statewide, unified system of educational opportunities, workforce development, data analysis and job opportunities, according to the governor's office.

As a partner, the U of A Professional and Workforce Development team in the Global Campus will integrate learner and employer records into the Ready for Life platform. Global Campus will leverage existing agreements with business, institutions of higher education and local educational agencies and services to build a network of employee-learner records, certified resumes, and digital content to support education and training.

 "The University of Arkansas is excited to partner with this initiative and hopes to help Arkansans throughout the state get the training needed to lead to employment," said Tara Dryer, senior managing director at the Global Campus.

The Ready for Life records from educational institutions and workforce skill certifiers will show academic achievements, leadership experience and certified workforce skills of their current and past students. It will connect students, job seekers, teachers, counselors, employers and other agencies.

Workers can use the web-based platform to gain skills and education and to build personalized records that can help them stand out in the job market. Employers can search for certified job talent in a new way.

Gov. Asa Hutchinson committed $14.7 million to the Ready for Life program through the Governor's Emergency Education Relief fund, which are discretionary funds provided through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, also known as the CARES Act.

"As a land-grant institution, advancing Arkansas is at the heart of all we do," said Cheryl Murphy, vice provost for distance education and head of the Global Campus. "Our participation in this statewide, unified program allows us to increase Arkansas' workforce capabilities and revitalize the economy to the benefit of all Arkansans."

The Ready for Life platform is pre-loaded with educational content and workskills training linked with a credential library, regionalized career pathways, localized job boards, and provides resources to support new content published by participants, to crowdsource resources for learning and career advancement, according to the governor's office.

The platform offers both free and fee-based educational opportunities for Arkansans at all ages and life stages. It will host k-12 courses, higher education courses, and continuing education courses, and it allows for business and industry sponsorship of digital content. 

Other Ready for Life partners include two-year community colleges, chambers of commerce, the Division of Workforce Services, the Division for Information Systems, the Department of Transformation and Shared Services, the Office of Skills Development, and other state agencies.