Two local companies will offer guaranteed job interviews to people who complete a course in advanced manufacturing offered by the U of A.

The advanced manufacturing course was developed by the Professional and Workforce Development division of the U of A Global Campus with input from industry experts as part of the Reimagine Arkansas Workforce Project, a program that offers online job training funded by a federal grant to the U of A and partners. The course is not offered for academic credit.

Game Composites, a composite airplane manufacturer in Bentonville, proposed the idea for and assisted with development of the course and will offer guaranteed job interviews to people who complete it successfully.

Upon reviewing the advanced manufacturing course, Preformed Line Products, a manufacturer that has pioneered modern advances in communications and power utility networks since 1947, is also offering guaranteed job interviews to people who complete the course.

Registration for the course may be done online, and applications for course funding from the Reimagine Arkansas Workforce Project can also be submitted online. The Global Campus received a federal grant in 2020 to fund online job training for Arkansans who qualify through Reimagine. People who live in neighboring states and work in Arkansas can also apply for the free online training. Funds from Reimagine are limited to one course offered through Professional and Workforce Training. Applicants must be 18 or older, have registered for Selective Service (if male) and be eligible to work in the U.S.

Tara Dryer, senior managing director of Professional and Workforce Development, said the federal grant dovetailed nicely with the division's goal of helping local business and industry hire the people they need to be successful. Arkansas needs workers trained in advanced manufacturing, she said.

"It's a win-win situation because partnering with local employers allows us to offer training that people need to get a good job and improve their lives while helping those employers remain competitive and productive and continue to add to the local economy," Dryer said. "We would not be able to do what we do without the assistance of local employers to make sure the skills training we offer is relevant."

Josh Richards, chief operating officer of Game Composites, said the company anticipates continued strong growth since it was founded in 2013. It has developed, tested and received FAA certification for the GB1 Gamebird aerobatic airplane and is working on the design for its next aircraft. The work done at the facility includes composite manufacturing; painting; final assembly; design, analysis and certification; and prototype and production tooling.

The design of the two-seat Gamebird features a complete set of controls in both cockpits and combines greater range, speed, comfort, safety and storage space than its competition. It's designed both for the aerobatic arena and cross-country trips.

"We anticipate a significant growth over the next five years and will need a large number of skilled workers to help us achieve our goals," Richards said. "Any qualifications or skills related to aviation, aerospace manufacturing, quality assurance or lean manufacturing will be well-served here. We also look for people with great communication skills, high emotional intelligence and who are great problem-solvers. We want people to know this is a place where you can make a career, and we strive to promote from within."

Aaron McBride, continuous improvement manager at Preformed in Rogers, served as a subject matter expert and reviewer for the course creation. He said the company hired about 100 people in the past year and could hire another 100 people. Applications are kept on file for several months.

"The course contains many valuable concepts that we expect new hires to understand," McBride said. "We have struggled to find new skilled hourly workers for a while now."

Advancement is always possible for these new hires, he said.

"Many of our current supervisory and other technical employees started out as hourly floor workers," McBride said. "We are a 75-year-old company with a rich history and culture. We've experienced record growth the last few years. We have great people. We've employed generation after generation of local residents with good, secure, decent-paying jobs for 50 years.

"We are undergoing a nearly $20 million expansion to our warehouse operations and molding manufacturing due to be complete in January," he said.

The global economy today demands faster, safer, more affordable and better-quality products and production methods, and the advanced manufacturing concept uses innovative technological processes to be more efficient, effective and responsive. The course prepares participants for entry-level employment in advanced manufacturing industries by providing necessary skills such as safety practices, blueprint reading, material science, tool selection, geometric dimensioning and tolerance, shop math, efficiency concepts and quality assurance procedures.

For more information about the advanced manufacturing course and funding through Reimagine or for more information about offering job interviews to course completers, visit the course website and Reimagine website.