ANC Leads ADTEC in Acquiring $2.3 Million Federal Workforce Grant

ANC Leads ADTEC in Acquiring $2.3 Million Federal Workforce Grant
October 7, 2019
Contact: Rachel Gifford, rgifford@smail.anc.edu, 870-838-2902

This summer, the Arkansas Delta Training & Education Consortium (ADTEC), led by the
Arkansas Northeastern College (ANC), applied for a U. S. Department of Labor-
Education & Training Administration (DOLETA) grant aimed at the Delta Regional
Authority (DRA) and the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC), entitled Workforce
Opportunity for Rural Communities (WORC). ADTEC consists of five community
colleges serving 14 counties in eastern Arkansas, as well as three counties in Missouri
and one county each in Tennessee and Mississippi. On September 30, DRA announced
that ADTEC’s project, Arkansas Delta Workforce Opportunities for Rural Communities
(ADWORC), was one of 18 projects, including 8 DRA projects, funded by the $29 million
Federal initiative. The purpose of the $2,324,336 proposal, funded 100% by Federal
dollars, is to increase the labor participation rate in the Arkansas Delta by preparing new
entrants to the workforce, particularly persons from impoverished backgrounds and the
formerly incarcerated, as well as dislocated workers for jobs in high-demand fields.
Increasing the labor force participation rate in the ADWORC region will enlarge and
augment the pipeline of skilled workers to build upon current economic growth through
existing and future employers.

The colleges joining ANC in the ADWORC grant are East Arkansas Community
College, Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas, Arkansas State
University-Newport, and Arkansas State University-Mid-South. ANC’s share of the grant
funds is $704,064 over the next three years with all funds supporting the ADWORC
initiative.

With ADWORC being specifically geared toward the hard-to-reach population, intensive
case management resources will be implemented. The additional funding from the grant
will allow each of the ADTEC colleges to hire additional personnel who will establish a
career placement pipeline, recruit heavily from the targeted populations, and deliver
training developed in conjunction with employers. Each of the ADTEC schools will utilize
the additional funds to provide much needed case management and career services to
new entrants to the workforce. Additionally, they will deliver workplace readiness
training, offer industry credentialing opportunities, and provide work-based learning
experiences through on-the-job verification (OJV) coaching. OJV involves the case
manager or other personnel functioning as a liaison between the client/new employee
and the employer to ensure that skills acquired through training are being properly
applied during either a paid internship or initial employment opportunity. Generally,
workplace readiness and industry-specific training at each of the colleges runs one
semester or less, while the work-based learning experience will vary from 90 to 120
days across the five colleges. Several of the ADWORC colleges will use grant
resources to offer cash incentives to participants for NCRC attainment ($50), ADWORC
training completion (up to $200), and employment attainment ($250).

With support from the Great River Economic Development Foundation, the ADWORC
Initiative in Mississippi County will leverage a subsidized wage incentive for Mississippi
County employers who hire ADWORC graduates. The project will also link community
partners to provide participant referrals to ADWORC. Over two dozen regional
employers wrote letters of commitment as part of the grant application.

Arkansas counties served by the ADWORC project include Mississippi, Craighead,
Greene, Poinsett, Jackson, Crittenden, Cross, Woodruff, White, St. Francis, Lee,
Philips, Monroe, and Arkansas. Arkansas counties are the primary service area;
however, the location of ADTEC partner colleges creates the opportunity to serve
eligible participants from counties in adjoining states. Missouri counties include
Pemiscot, Dunklin, and New Madrid. Additionally, Shelby County in Tennessee and
DeSoto County in Mississippi are included. All counties served by ADWORC are within
the Delta Regional Authority territory.

"The awarding of this ADWORC grant will fund a crucial piece of the puzzle that ANC
is putting together to combat the challenge of generational poverty by providing
disadvantaged individuals and households a direct avenue to a better quality of life
through training, education, and employment. We are collaborating with our college
and community partners to expand this design throughout the Delta region to serve
as a national model,” said ANC President Dr. James Shemwell.