LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Ken Warden of the Arkansas Division of Higher Education Commission and Mike Rogers, chief workforce officer, awarded nearly $26 million in training grants last week to support workforce development efforts at 14 institutions, including the University of Arkansas.

Chancellor Charles Robinson, professors Alan Mantooth and Karl Schubert, and Tara Dryer, director of the university's workforce-development programs, were on-hand for the announcement by Gov. Sanders in Little Rock.

The grants were awarded as part of the HIRED program, which stands for "Higher Industry Readiness through Educational Development." It uses funding that was established by the Workforce Initiative Act of 2015. In total, $88 million is available through the HIRED Grant program’s two tracks, which are separately administered through the Arkansas Department of Commerce and the Arkansas Division of Higher Education.

“There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to education, and the HIRED Grant Program helps us meet Arkansas students, schools and businesses where they are,” Sanders said. “These grants will help build the workforce of the future and make Arkansas more competitive in industries such as steel manufacturing, aerospace and defense, lithium and cybersecurity.”

“These awards directly align with the Arkansas Workforce Strategy by connecting higher education efforts with the needs of Arkansas employers," Warden said. "This is a win for Arkansas. Employers will have the workforce they need and employees will earn higher wages by being better trained,” said Arkansas Division of Higher Education Commissioner Ken Warden.

Two grants were awarded to the U of A:

• $1 million for a semi-conductor training program, directed by Mantooth.

• $750,000 for the university's data science program, director by Schubert.

From left: Ken Warden of the Division of Higher Education Commission, Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, U of A Chancellor Charles Robinson, Tara Dryer of the university's workforce-development program, and professor Karl Schubert.

“Arkansas has a longstanding tradition for innovation, work ethic, entrepreneurship, and the trades," Rogers said. "It is the right time to invest regionally in our two- and four-year colleges. Employers are asking for specific short-term training and higher education degrees. Part of it is going back to our roots, but also pioneering new spaces.”

The governor and the Department of Commerce previously announced $48 million in HIRED training grants in November. The HIRED grants are intended to provide funding for state and regional industry-driven partnerships and data-driven education and workforce training programs. Funding for the grants comes from Arkansas Workforce Initiative grant funding and federal funds.

Other recipient institutions in the University of Arkansas System included:

• University of Arkansas-Pulaski Technical College, $2.5 million
• University of Arkansas Community College-Morrilton, $2 million
• University of Arkansas at Little Rock – Cybersecurity, $750,000
• University of Arkansas at Monticello – Crossett, $2 million
• University of Arkansas-Fort Smith, $1.7 million