ARKANSAS CENTER FOR DATA SCIENCES

THE ARKANSAS CENTER FOR DATA SCIENCES (ACDS) PROVIDES SERVICES TO EMPLOYERS NEEDING SPECIFIC SKILLS TO MAINTAIN AND GROW THEIR BUSINESSES. IN 2023 ACDS WAS ASKED TO CONTINUE WITH THE IT SECTOR, BUT ALSO BEGIN TO WORK WITH EMPLOYERS IN ADVANCED MANUFACTURING, TRANSPORTATION & LOGISTICS, HEALTHCARE, AND ENERGY. ACDS PROVIDES THE EMPLOYERS A SUPPLEMENTAL STAFFING STRATEGY USING THE REGISTERED APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM. AT THE END OF 2024, ACDS GREW THE IT SECTOR, HAD SIGNIFICANT OUTCOMES IN THE NEW SECTORS, AND A GROWING PIPELINE. THE NUMBER OF APPRENTICES GREW FROM 388 IN 2023 TO 710 IN 2024, AND THE NUMBER OF PARTICIPATING EMPLOYERS GREW FROM 145 IN 2023 TO 183 IN 2024. THE ACDS GOAL TO SCALE TO 400 APPRENTICES AND 100 EMPLOYERS HAS BEEN FAR EXCEEDED AS WE WRITE THIS IN NOVEMBER OF 2025. THE ROI FOR EMPLOYERS, THE LIFE CHANGING CAREERS FOR THE APPRENTICES AND THEIR FAMILIES, AND THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF THE NEW WAGES IN ARKANSAS IS SIGNIFICANT. ACDS DEVELOPS THE TALENT APPLICATIONS BY ASSESSING, OFFERING FREE PRE-APPRENTICESHIP TRAINING, RESUME COACHING, AND MOCK INTERVIEWS. WE TAKE THE CANDIDATES WHERE THEY ARE CURRENTLY AND PREPARE THEM TO BE EMPLOYER READY. TODAY WE HAVE APPROXIMATELY 1,500 ACTIVE CANDIDATES, AND WE CONTINUE TO HAVE ALMOST 1,000 ACTIVE APPRENTICES.ACDS WORKS DIRECTLY WITH THE EMPLOYERS UNDERSTANDING THE SKILLS THEY NEED. ACDS WORKS WITH THE TALENT POOL AND PROVIDES PRE-APPRENTICESHIP TRAINING, WORK BASED LEARNING INTERNSHIPS, 48 IN 2024 WITH 80% BEING OFFERED FULL-TIME EMPLOYMENT AFTER THE INTERNSHIP.THE MONTHLY NEWSLETTER CONTINUES TO PLAN AN IMPORTANT ROLE FOR EDUCATION AND COMMUNICATION. THE NUMBER OF SUBSCRIBERS HAS GROWN FROM 8,800 IN 2023 TO 10,600 IN 2024. THE NUMBER OF SOCIAL MEDIA FOLLOWERS HAS GROWN FORM 4,109 IN 2023 TO 5,800 IN 2024.THE TALENT DEVELOPMENT TEAM HAD 5,589 INDIVIDUAL APPLICATIONS. IN 2024, THAT NUMBER WAS 5,589 BRINGING OUR TOTAL TO-DATE TO 22,531.THE UNIFIED COMMUNITY APPRENTICESHIP TEAM (UCAT), NOW THE APPRENTICESHIP EXPANSION TEAM, CONTINUED TO MEET MONTHLY IN 2024. THIS TEAM HAS EVOLVED TO AND ITS MISSION HAS BECOME THE STATEWIDE APPRENTICESHIP EXPANSION MEETING NOW WEEKLY.THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR CONTINUED TO COMPLIMENT THE ACDS OUTCOMES THAT ARE BEING REPORTED QUARTERLY. ACDS BENEFITED FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR FORMULA FUNDING, STATE APPRENTICE EXPANSION FUNDING GRANTS, THAT THE STATE OF ARKANSAS DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE FUNDED THROUGH THE DIVISION OF THE OFFICE OF SKILLS DEVELOPMENT. TWO NEW ACDS RESOURCES WERE ADDED TO FOCUS ON THE NEW SECTORS.