Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

No Down Side To Proposed Learning Center In Area

There are no down sides to operating a learning center for area industry.

State Rep. Percy Malone, speaking to the Clark County Industrial Council (CCIC) recently, said such a center would only be a benefit to the area.

During the recently completed session of the Arkansas General Assembly, Malone, co- chair of the powerful joint budget committee, helped procure funds to build such a facility in Arkadelphia.

The question, though, is where to build the center. Three sites have been bandied about, with a river location on the south part of town being the one most favored.

The other locations included the new business park near Interstate 30, with the final site at the front of the current Clark County Industrial Park on Highway 67.

One problem with locating the facility at the new business park, Malone said, is it would take at least two years to get everything in place and start building it. This is because the park itself isn't completely done yet.

In addition, the money procured for the facility comes from the state and must be used within the next two years or it has to be given back.

The whole idea of such a center, he said, came about with the CCIC working to help the existing industries in the area.

While it's important to bring in new industries and jobs, Malone said, the primary thrust must be to take care of existing industries as this is where most new jobs will come from.

Surveys taken by the CCIC showed the major problem industry in the region faces is finding a qualified work force to do the jobs available.

However, because each industry manufactures a different product, it would be almost impossible to build a facility to handle the training for each company. But, every one of the industries showed a basic need from their employees and this is what the center will focus on, once it's operatoinal.

The center, Malone said, will be industry driven, and basically funded by industry once it's up and running.

The two colleges, Henderson State University and Ouachita Baptist University, have agreed to help provide instructors for the center. Additionally, the CCIC has been working with the superintendents from Gurdon and Arkadelphia on the prep level, with both pledging their support.

"We have a great chance to succeed now," Malone said. "Our meetings have gone well and the leaders have been showing up regularly to see how we'll make it work.

"We're getting people ready for the jobs here now," he continued, but in less than 20 years we'll be bringing in jobs unlike what we have. These will be information jobs."

Still, he stressed the importance of taking care of those industries already located in Clark County first, then working to recruit new ones for the industrial and business parks.

He suggested the CCIC work on long and short term goals simultaneously.

First, he said, a location needs to be picked for the learning center. This should be followed by the development of a curriculum. The course requirements can be established by business and industry working with HSU and OBU.

"The money for the project is in place," he continued, "and I'm excited to have this for our existing industry."

By making the center industry driven, Malone said, and putting people in class, they will have the bet chance to get local jobs. "We have the opportunity to make this happen. It's not just a dream. It will help all of Southwest Arkansas, and if we do it right, it will be bigger than a Clark County-Arkadelphia project, it could be used as a model for the entire state."

The center, he said, will be different from technical colleges as it can "turn on a dime" with its curriculum to meet industry's needs immediately. It will be geared toward getting people ready to go to work at jobs here now, as well as helping people with jobs keep them and get the education they need for advancement in the workplace.

This way, he continued, they can stay here and not go elsewhere looking for jobs. The center will be more of a partnership between education and industry now and in the future.

Rick Izor, general manager of Scroll Technologies, said all industries will have an input in what's taught at the center, based on the needs.

"By working with educators, we'll be able to establish the workforce we need in the future as well as now," Izor said. "A lot of industries are working on this, and there are a lot of consistencies needed by all industries. This will also help draw people here, as we need more workers, but they must be trained."

Malone said the center will not be credit or certificate oriented for those attending and taking the classes. It will, instead, be based on knowledge gained to meet the needs of industry, focusing on skills and education required to get a job or advancement.

"Industry will tell us what it wants and how it should be," he said.

All area industry, Malone added, needs the same type of product from the education system.

While all the answers aren't known yet, he added, work is being done to find them.