UA Little Rock Launches Workforce Development Center to Strengthen Career Pathways and Support Arkansas Industry
The University of Arkansas at Little Rock has launched the Workforce Development Center, a new initiative designed to prepare students and professionals for career success while helping Arkansas businesses and industries meet their evolving workforce needs.
The University of Arkansas System Board of Trustees approved the new center during its Sept. 26 meeting. Housed within the Office of Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Ann Bain, the Workforce Development Center brings together four existing units — Concurrent Enrollment, Corporate and Community Education, Study Abroad, and University Career Services — under one strategic umbrella. The goal is to enhance collaboration, optimize resources, and align the university’s efforts with state and regional workforce priorities.
“The Workforce Development Center gives us the unique opportunity to support learners from age 14 through retirement,” said Dr. Aaron Duvall, executive director of workforce development, who leads the new center. “Our mission is to equip students and professionals with the skills and credentials that employers are seeking while helping companies across Arkansas upskill their workforce. We want to start by actually listening to business and industry leaders in our community and design programs and certifications that they value and need. Workforce development cannot happen in silos.”
The Workforce Development Center will serve as a central hub for aligning academic programs with non-credit courses and expanding opportunities for learners. Among its priorities are:
· Expanding non-credit workforce pathways through Corporate and Community Education
· Developing new certificates of proficiency that meet industry needs
· Increasing internship opportunities through University Career Services
· Broadening career and technical education opportunities for high school students through Corporate and Community Education
· Creating tools for workforce data collection and assessment
· Evaluating prior learning assessment across the university
· Expanding global workforce experiences, such as global internships, through Study Abroad
· Supporting grant writing for workforce-related initiatives
Provost Bain said the creation of the center reflects UA Little Rock’s commitment to both student success and Arkansas’s economic vitality.
“This center is about more than connecting students with jobs,” Bain said. “It’s about strengthening Arkansas’s economy by preparing graduates to meet workforce demands, supporting employers in developing their talent pipelines, and creating opportunities that benefit entire communities.”
The Workforce Development Center will build upon the success of UA Little Rock’s Corporate Partnerships Program, which offers employees of partner companies a 10 percent tuition scholarship, a $25-per-credit-hour book scholarship, and a waived application fee. This fall alone, the program has seen nearly 475 enrollments from 130 corporate partners. Since 2022, more than 1,500 students have participated, generating an estimated financial impact of nearly $5 million.
The Workforce Development Center will also house the newly formed Workforce Development Center Council, a group of faculty, staff, and administrators from across the university. The council will meet regularly to share insights on workforce trends in their fields, ensuring the center’s initiatives remain responsive to changing needs in the state and region.
By uniting these efforts under one umbrella, UA Little Rock is positioned to help students succeed in their careers while supporting businesses and industries with the talent and training they need to grow.
“This is a space for collaboration,” Duvall said. “Whether you’re a student, alumni, or employer, we want to work together to make sure UA Little Rock is providing the right pathways for Arkansas’s workforce now and in the future.”
UA Little Rock invites community members, alumni, employers, and industry leaders to partner in shaping the future of workforce development in Arkansas. Those interested in sharing ideas, identifying workforce needs, or exploring partnership opportunities are encouraged to contact Duvall at [email protected].