ALC-Higher Education Subcommittee

Good morning good morning ladies and gentleman we are here for our first higher education subcommittee meeting of Legislative Council and a welcome everybody we have a. Some interesting things to talk about today in a representative would occur have you got remarks. NO formal remarks today because of thrilled to finally be back here hoping that as we move into a post COVID world we can meet more often and we can sort of be able to give you a. the people of Arkansas good preview of what higher education looks like in a post COVID world in the coming year so stay tuned we're gonna be putting programs to programming together to get you back in here and we can learn more about of every kind of post secondary education today is a good start thank you Jane. Okay good morning so first on our list is a written deal. And Mary Hayes Rick as with the all governor's office of transformation and innovation and all kinds of stuff. And in Mary Hayes is is with work Bay and so they're going to present a program today this is the a program that was funded with gears funding from the last cares Act funding and so it's kind of an exciting program let's see what it has to do and and it could be the beginning for how do we figure out how we get everybody involved in making sure that this is a success so I would introduce reckon Neil. Thank you but you have to sit down and recognize yourself and you have to stay in your seat sorry. And to. Turn on your microphone and identify yourself so people on TV can see you. Can you ma'am there you go very good thank you Senator English. Of thanks for allowing me can speak today talk to you a little bit about ready for life in the that is being being done right now currently with that the governor enacted this several months ago with the initiative that we're talking about with the campaign that were the really focused in on in providing one work for solution for state in the work that this going to be happening over the next several months as we're moving through this the ready for life campaign that we're on right now and there's two things that I think that we need to really address is the campaign in the initiative that is in place and the tool of where it will reside it's in I think sometimes when I speak sometimes it gets lost in the language of we have a tool and we do not have a campaign or initiative that we're trying to drive drive us toward the initiative in itself is to create a a a one work for solution I think during transformation when the governor brought the agencies down into workable workable agencies that the idea is to bring the work force into more of a manageable situation of of being able to to work through transformation and begin to share data across these government agencies be able to sit to talk to each other to be able to communicate and best serve the archimedean all our Kansans of in their potential employment endeavors what's what is happening right now is is monumental because of the actual tool that it will rid will rest on in providing education and training for our students four out all of our folks that are looking for employment across the state we have several education and training providers in the room that have have for you know they're providing great services to all of our students and people that are looking for potential jobs and work but we have the opportunity to two can. The date some of that and give some foundational pieces the corporate the corporate level is looking for in the mom and pop shops are looking for in some of these sensual skills durable skills St some of those pieces that they're looking for in their training if you could look up on the screen right there you can kind of see how ready for life is lined out of the one kind of a one work for solution type of model merry has come in for more bay and spent an enormous amount of time engineering this platform to align and integrate the agencies together to provide the customer service that we are all of our kids are looking for when they go looking for potential work at potential training if you get into the corporate level and different things like that all of them have education training models that they have internally most of them they're they're trying to provide better of programs in development at those platform levels what happens is they get inside in a creek in its they spend two or three weeks all boarding of that worker and the any cost enormous amount of money on the front end to be able to train that type that what this model looks like it's trying to connect education to the work force prior to being able to you know to take that job gives you some structure on Maury onboarding and be able to really create some foundational prince before they can take a look at the job then you get into the the of the actual what the citizens you know that the commerce piece of it the data hub of it in the Human Services side of it of exactly how it will impact all of our education and training providers all of our customers that are looking for potential jobs ready for life platform cover from again boundary to boundary of in in in cities cities zip code zip code the opportunity for for education training providers that are there that are snapped ten of Wagner Peyser people that are looking for potential jobs the. Data that is going to be able to to grow out of this and be able to help provide that the real decision making for these four our for for for people that are providing this training is essential we're gonna be able to combine all of our education training providers to know what we need regionally what we need internally and not just by doing but basically is maybe some of the same training that would track training that we've done in previous years or prior years we're gonna be able to know what the next job in the future is and how that potentially looks to all our cans as they move forward and into their job search and job journey so ready flat platform. Two initiatives one initiative is the the way the Arkansas is going to be doing business in state government the they're the that's really what and and what really loads the groceries in the in the truck or the vehicle is the tool how it gets there and how we would that so that's what I'm gonna get into now so you've got. The platform which the big mission the methodology of how it's going to impact all our key engines and how we can utilize this in all education training providers can utilize this to support the work supplement to work and and help the all those things we have to consuming credible tools inventors are coming on the platform of wordplay has over two hundred courses occur cards on the on the on the site right now we have close to we we're we're with a contract with linked in learning that will provide nine thousand courses on the platform and the company call tooling you will also be on the platform provided four hundred best value manufacturing courses that we providing on that course work the plat for the two the the website itself is a learning management system a system that contains all of the what I call we call the Netflix of job opportunities and with use lies in the department of labor of the one thousand over one thousand jobs headquartered at the Department labor. All users the that utilize this platform will be able to go in experience what potential job that looks like in their region that they're living or wherever that could potentially be across the country by zip code and be able to highlight and expose themselves to specific job needs and what type of learning that needs to take place prior to the opportunity of having that job and then having the ability to connect that software that technology to the employer so the connection is is like what I was talked about education and workforce is never linked together workforce's always been here let education comes along this side of it what the hope is is being able to educate our Kansans to link education to the work force and then be allowed for them to and then allowing them to be able to pursue a two year college post secondary students if that's what they choose to do that to go into a four year institution if that's what they choose to do to not be value any type of learning that happens along the way but allows them to be able to possess the skills that they can get a job a job that's the first thing in the A. B. C.'s a job the second part is B. at a better job and that's what we're looking for in this platform is to opt out parties to advance as they're moving through that trajectory of education and and learning the last thing is a career because we all change careers multiple times in multiple opportunities that we've had throughout state throughout our lives and that's the opportunity to the platform has so we want to get into a little bit it just real quick of before going into the health sciences area if we're looking into health science field of study what that'll absolutely looks like so if you look in our in in your in your zip code is in the little rock area or if it's in the Texarkana you can go wherever you choose to go to see what job availability is in those areas and then grabbed the potential learning that it's going to take place. Looking at all the way up from what foundational pieces that they need to the opportunities at the post secondary level or four year institutions that they have. You. I'm sorry. Okay we'll. The next it just keeps rolling up and down and by the time I focus on trying to read something is gone is there a reason. Follows the studio and. Which is impossible as let's you know so anyway we'll see we'll slow down the the platform will but again you have the opportunity to go to the platform find the job that you potentially or interest at. I'm sorry not determine off. Back on okay. Just like Netflix you have the opportunity to go get that find the find the the job of the potential job and and and then learn about what that looks like what kind of money that you can potentially make where are the jobs regionally in that area and connect through building that transcript building that resume building that that learning that will will it will have the opportunity to entertain an interview by potential corporate or business industry sector so of. Questions about the platform questions about some of the things I've talked about so far since do you think it's possible that okay I was kinda Hopin so let's say you're a twenty five year old and you kind of don't know have a direction for where you're going how would you go show us how you would go on this site and in begin to go in that process so people get a better kind of a better understanding of what do you do we had the you know with with the platform we've had several people have gone to the platform that are you know single parents died people that go through different projectors in life that have gone to the platform that have an opportunity to to do that so if you go into into the site and you are a employee credential ploys when we go to where we're at with the employee part of it. You want me to go from there yeah your father can you all hear me you can you have a microphone next to you right there and so if you use Google maps if you use Google maps DO something similar here it's not disruptive of doctor chill there is or where secretary grace programs it's like a Google map in that it helps to guide you to the program that you need and if we owned Google maps we could see where everybody in Arkansas was going and what all the resources work that's what this is like so when you come in maybe you're on Google maps you say show me nearby restaurants or hotels similarly this is saying Hey what is it you're looking for so with all the school kids in Arkansas we're already single sign on with them we know where they're at and we're working with the higher education institutions so that if you log in with your full secondary school email we know what program you're in and where you are. But if you're that twenty five year old Senator English who doesn't know where they are you go in an answer a couple of quick questions or like Rick said if you're on Netflix it'll say you want romantic comedies and documentaries so some quick and simple questions he's come out a twenty years background experience with the hauling criterion referenced testing around competencies as they relate to jobs so it looks simple and easy but it's actually got a lot of science behind it based on that just like how Netflix will show you the hotels in your region or Netflix will show you that shows you want to watch it shows you career cards that line up to the things you were looking for now in this case are pretend user here is looking at things that our health sciences related said they want to help people like science shows them these career card. It also shows some these jobs so we have ten thousand jobs on here these are the ones that are closest match to where I am and what I'm looking for. And we know from signs that only one out of seven Americans can read the language on the job posting and there are other studies that say even less for Americans we look at job postings like these tax we don't even know what it how to interpret that into our own lives so all the job company overview read outs or to the user and everything is on your smart phone as an app as well as a browser side is it making sense so far Sir. Yes No. And and it will link to job posting to a career card. I think that's a question here. Okay. Representative Deffenbaugh. Thank you mentored three actually that's fine thank you so much and I am excited about the potential here just have a couple questions and you touched on I'm kind of that interaction between the school and this platform for K. twelve students I'm wondering if you could just kind of explain a little bit more my understanding is that you school you know that only teachers and administrators have access to each school data how is that that students indicate twelve setting are interacting this platform and what kind of student data do employers have or or other individuals who are utilizing this platform have and if if Kato students are are utilizing it all of the the fortunately I know about the school piece of it because a school comes of the state and out of my of my level all the school houses microphone just close all of the eSchool data that is House across all of our K. twelve sectors are all linked to the G. email accounts. Okay so every student has G. mail can't in all that the the challenge of that is the data being able to be correct or it more integrates correctly if the email is not correct and done that the if we it's a challenge of integrating and finding that student so if the student transfers to the district or anything like that they has the opportunity to be able to do that the only there there's no data sharing as far as only the G. mail account thank you madam chair and I just had a question about you know if that an individual is going on Google to search for job openings and you kind of this first hits come up as indeed or monster or other and I'm just wondering if you've talked about kind of search engine optimization where this pops up if folks are looking for jobs near me yeah we we addressed at early in the in the in the in the conversation of being able to make sure that we manage that part of it as well just most like most schools to. Absolutely. Senator Hammer. Thank you over too far left yes Sir and I walked in Les Paul judgment may Mrs but it sounds like you're dealing with individuals that are motivated to try to find a job and would actively seek this out in order to get either employing better employment in my correct my perception of that. I think that you know the goal of that is that that definitely hit that I do think that we're we're looking at this from a K. twelve sector of once we get to the eighth grade level of being able to create student success plans for them so they can be exposed to defer potential jobs in in the second so because the education side right now does not have a body of work from the nine through twelve and a body of work or a body of of of some things that they need the state success plan when or the learning that could potentially be captured on here will create that low operable record as they move through their their employment journey okay follow up manager okay so I'm I'm thing about those people. That are too motivated to get out and find these jobs and we've done some things as a state with the current legislation to cut off the three hundred I'm wondering about what's the interaction between you and unemployment in order to maybe make this requirement that if you're on unemployment you have to register on this in order to prove that you are actively looking for a job interest in looking at a job or make it contingent on being able to receive future on appointment if you're not registered and have you had that conversation yeah we've been. We've been across state government Dr Childress and I work together with the on this on this Zacks same conversation the Department Human Services with secretary blessed be in all of us been together talking about this initial need an impact that we've got to with this is a sense of urgency we have forty six for forty thousand snap recipients we have several unemployment insurance types of things everything is ending on October want on some of the mandates and some of the the financial pieces of it so the need and the urgency to drive exactly what you're talking about is it that is it is it is in process and especially with apartment services so when can we expect that to be a requirement not something you're driving toward the for the folks that could be out working but are choosing not to be they would be in a position that they would have to be showing proof that they are engaged in this process yeah and I'm not going to get out from the Secretary Gillespie on this and then in the conversation that we're having together with that also I think it you know I think Dr Childress and although also speak to that is we as Europeans as the business morning because we are having those conversations and yes I do know that that is is part of those conversations thank you thank manager. Senator Elliot. Thank you madam chair Mr Neil up for the if I log on and show my interest If it sensed him if if the information indicates I need to say blah blah blah course whatever course of those courses online do I have to pay to take those courses so how do I actually get to all the courses on the platform or free cans into tech everything is free that they have the opportunity to the the the the interest that we have with the platform is to create again foundational courses that will lead them to other potential courses and to you know to to your institutions and all that so you log online to take the course of courses you know range from forty five minutes thirty minutes to an hour but is that what that would depending on the course that that's there but every course is linked to a specific job and when you get into start to take the course or you made aware of how your success is measured by the you did well with the course or you know every force every course was specially with linked in into a new that there is competency based and lastly when you said that you manage like indeed monster linked in or whatever what does that mean that you managed because what happens in in in American cheese a technology girl and I'm not but what happens in this is it with this process is that there's several things out there that that business industry uses job or say all use job or some use job boards I think one out of five there actually go to a job or to get a job of or or utilizing a job board and all of what happens with indeed or monster acres if recruiter any these if the business is using those platforms or anybody's life they have the ability to what they call a P. Make sure I'm getting my technology correct API and it all trickles down into this learning management system API doesn't mean anything to to to me so current guidance what does that stand for president and always year Hey let's that will take for example a very large retailer they use at job board and those jobs are posted all over we also pull in those jobs I just want to know what API stands for. It's it's it's it's a it's like them a list. I know API RSS feed it's pulling in the jobs from its pulling amend so on a big retailer they will they will have a place that you can go and suck up those jobs that they have put them into your own platform and state. Okay got it got it. And what happens then I'm ready for life it will link to a career card that will show you where to get the learning for that job and when you do the learning it will write the language to your resume so that the employer can search for the for people that have that skill. Okay thank you last question I guess is when it comes to when it comes to students I don't actually know what protections are needed on that are there the fact that if everybody has I guess Google mail somehow they're connected to this platform. How what what kind of footage you have to jump through if any at all to have access to people minors or. Cozart bills about some of that well I think I think the the integration of of what the work is going on between the department of education and the platform between department in the service and the platform between all that all that work yeah it's going to be really have the information since to be able to be able to pull those things and put those put those pieces in place. The significant review of encryption and we have all of their requirements working closely with the Division of information systems happy to give you the details of it okay I'll I'll follow up with you because I don't want to commit time now but I I do want to follow up with you about that thank you. Senate Chesterfield. Thank you very much madam chair in looking it up at me IBM means application performing interface so when people ask it would be nice if we used acronyms that means something. Up the thing is troubling to me is you have indicated that every student has a G. mail. That's in K. through twelve as well as college is that correct not so much to college but K. twelve most most schools I think it's eighty five ninety percent or students have G. mail account and they give you access to them or access to a does it give them access to you know use access the Department information services is the housing of all this this this platform houses none of that I guess what I'm concerned about is did you ask them if they wanted it there. Sure yeah this is department of education the part sex education where how we can utilize and share that information all all all of that is data sharing agreements that is done between across these agencies no I'm talking about does the student know that you have access to his or her G. mail no. And I get things like that bother me maybe needlessly but I don't like for people to have access to something I don't know they have access to that belongs to me. Recognition understood your question okay when a student comes to ready for life and logs in chooses to log in with their school email at that time that's cool email pings back to the Arkansas data system and the school system and they simply let us know that this student I there's a matching field for this student at this school I at this either under fourteen under sixteen under eighteen so we have extraordinarily. I yes I know I get that part yes what you're not getting is my question. Does this do you know when the logging and that is going to pain to all these places. Yes this student has to choose to log in and that include state data privacy agreement that explains exactly what's happening. Yeah okay so that goes to each student that says you have the privacy and you have the right to opt out of your data being sent to you. So in writing somewhere to the kids and their parents yes and the only key no data is sent to me except this is a matching record of that student at that school only that there is a matching record so that their teacher then can see their data this state is all on by Arkansas this is all inside this is not my company this is all pulled by Parker does the parent know what is going to happen to the data. That's what I need to know. That going to be sent and used by you it may be ever so helpful to the pain to the student and I get that but does somebody know. The student no other parent know that it is there do you send them home with them like you do a year book and have signed up on a resume this is all in the Arkansas you school system not in this system all the data is in the Arkansas the school system so nothing is meant okay if you're driving me nuts here I'm sorry does the parent no. That is going to go to you. It's not coming it doesn't come to this site it is all in the Arkansas data system they are data it's not to this site so with the parent know that is in the Arkansas data system at this point yes they will not in use you are sure that somebody has told the parent. That is going to be sure we will assure that they will be called thank you. Thank you senator why. Did you have. Yes ma'am thank you Mr chairman. Let me ask you this bill do you have. Workforce. Involved with every campus in other words are you on the campus of every school statewide NO a a and C. up in Brockville they actually health. Representatives to go to local schools and they bus those students can to that college and they help them with scholarships and everything else and as they're going through all this they actually have got. Employers that are linked up lack of new coal or. We'll nursing means about eighty five percent of them can actually drop right into a job I wonder how that looks like statewide is for is the work force on the campus and how the college or university actually goes out to to get the children are students into the college and how successful do you think that would be and how is it working yeah we hope is gonna be very successful we I've been working with the thirty two community colleges and have a conversation with them about ready for life all of them or you are planning on using is is a supplemental type of course you know of course is the use inside the system so I yeah I would hope yeah I talked option will and he would be doing the same thing being able to leverage ready for life and some of the course or he's being offered right now as well. Well you know the schools and local schools bus those students in in the eleventh and twelfth grade and their reimbursed now monthly basis I just wonder if that's working like that statewide. It is far as the funding mechanism which of our skin amend to the college it you know I know that some schools are I mean it. It's it's a very challenging bill to be able to transfer transport some of our students to some of the regional areas that or the a critical centers have ensued because demographics there is a challenge for for students to leave come back and do some things like that some schools some CT senator Kerr senator probably more successful than others I know jim does a production was extremely good job of that there and there are others you know the the arts for co us use me up Arkansas tech Ozark is tremendously good job of that of of of serving the students in those areas but there's some that are underserved. Can thank. C.. Senator Hammer thank you ma'am chair how many students are signed up. for this state David Nishida effort on their part to get signed up and communications or current through the G. email account you know how many today yeah right now it's right now we are in the middle of integration I think that we've got that that going on being able to hook up to G. email accounts all over states right now no that's being worked on right now to working with department in fact information services and desi okay it's going on and the teacher yeah our so because I know one school in my district just made all their teachers switch over to G. email accounts from what they had before is that part of the initiative is to try to get everything linked up towards G. mail we would like that we would like to have that like I said a majority of our schools used to buy but there's a there's a small population does not our but as of right now you don't know a number of the students that are signed up to participate in this program through their G. email account because it's an ongoing effort is that that's correct that's correct okay so the goal is going to be to get all the students all students will have access so they can you know be able to create success plans and different things like that okay after learning and what's the responsibility of the individual school district to make sure that the parents know that their kids are signing up to this G. mail account where the interaction that's going to be taking place is going to be taking place I think that some of the conversations that we're having individual call us right now all right we'll have been able to to be able to vote pose those questions okay so there will be a charge is that absolutely that through the it'll become the district's responsibility because I know kids get a lot of emails from you know teachers where there's a lot of your back and forth between teachers with virtual learning it's pretty much going to model after what they should already be accustomed to because what we've gone through this last year is that a fair characterization for dark thank you. Okay saying no more questions up thank you very much for your presentation thank you they'll be lots more questions I think is people think about it. And I'm sure they might want to have you come into their school districts absolutely thank you very much. Okay so now let me see we have sometime back I guess probably about a year ago the labor department and the department of education the federal issued a grant opportunity for re imagining and re skilling folks in who were undergoing who have been left behind with COVID and so that grant program came in and was thirteen million thirteen a half million dollars and so we have folks here today the doctor Terry dryer. With the the University of Arkansas global global campus she here. Good you can come up and have a seat at the table here and then doctor I mean president Jerome Greene was shorter college. So we don't have room for everybody up here and that's come today but but I do appreciate you all being here. We have a chair for doctor the president green. In one of their for Senator English. Research orders director division of workforce services I ask president green if he would just wait until they finish their presentation because they have to separate personal and all right that they acceptable to the you into the Committee that would be fine thank you thank you. We're just going to pull up our presentation really quickly okay good. As an introduction Senator English I can give just a little bit of background as to why I'm here. Well because you're saying are hello well thank you very much Senator English the this is a grant that was through the US department of education and this grant required that this goes through a the state's workforce board so the under the the workforce innovation opportunity act we have a board that operates to to oversee the. Workforce activities throughout the state according to the workforce innovation opportunity act of prior this was called we a and so the Department US department of education grant required for that there was a requirement that that board be the approver of and the entity that oversees this grant that board is at is under the Arkansas division of workforce services and so we receive the grant and then you have other to sub grantees here today to present to you the work that they're doing it as it was of reported in and applied for to the US department of education and then approved by the workforce innovation opportunity board which is the Arkansas workforce development board so of I know that it's a little all of that's a lot of information that I think it sets the stage for you know how this grant originated in and then for the work that they're doing under the requirements of this federal grant okay if I may also return back to the audience. Because there okay we have questions okay thank you ladies thank you senator yourselves policemen yeah you're recognized thank you for inviting us my name is Dr terror dryer and the senior managing director at the university of Arkansas within the global campus so anything professional and workforce development falls under me in my division so um this and you're not let you go ahead shares. Can you hear me yes my name is Erin thank you I work for doctor Dreyer at the U. of a global campus and professional workforce development I help coordinate and manage some of the day today operations of our re imagine program and also help facilitate enrollments from other state organizations that we work with and you know like we owe our Arkansas rehab. Could you pull your my phone just a little bit closer to you. For some it pull the bottom yeah okay her life so hard for us to hear these things. So a high level overview of the re imagined grant it was intended to help individuals in the state of Arkansas that were impacted by COVID maybe they lost their job they were demoted and they need a way to get back into the work force and so through this re imagined grant we offered to provide free training to our Kansans in short term training programs that are in high demand and an anti skills gaps areas within the state of Arkansas the grant required that all of the training be conducted in an online format so that we could reach everybody and not just regionally within northwest Arkansas through the University of Arkansas. So we already have more than seventy five career short term career training programs that individuals can apply for register and enroll in can you will go to the next slide please. here are just some of the populations that we're currently serving so the funding came through around January first of this year by the time we got the program up and running we wanted to do a soft launch make sure all the Kinks were worked out and then push out the information our big marketing campaign will be coming out in the next couple weeks and we're working with a professional marketing agency so that we can reach more our Kansans and begin to enroll more individuals into our training programs basically the only required of required documentation that we need or eligibility documentation I should say are that they're eighteen and registered for selective service seventy percent of our grant. Participants need to be in other areas so a rural area from a diverse background may be unemployed or under employed or looking to enter into the manufacturing welding different career fields that we need employees and within the state of Arkansas. so that that's how to get them and it's a pretty quick and easy enrollment we can help them identify career pathways when they come into the program if they're not really sure what they want to do we just already have had our first individual complete and now they are working to become employed within the state of Arkansas we have contracted with identify on the back and then also to be able to give individual smart resumes and connections to direct employers within the state of Arkansas so the way I data fireworks is it is a smart resume where we verify that the individual has completed their coursework and then I data file a is contracting with companies and businesses all over the state so that we can link the employer with the individual both at the individual could apply for a job but also on the other end where if a company needed a specific type of skills that they can go out and search for that skill set and but there's no identifying information of the individual they can reach out the individual can choose to participate or not. it will integrate with ready for life as record just explain to so our programs are in the process of being uploaded into the system so individuals can find a re imagined free training programs through the ready for life platform. And then we're working with all the work for centers the northwest Arkansas council chambers of commerce throughout the state to really push this information out. so I've given you a little bit of information about who is taking it believe it or not even though the University of Arkansas is in Northwest Arkansas our largest pool of applicants right now is coming from Central Arkansas and you can see that we actually are getting individuals from all over the state and as I said our big marketing push shall come in a few weeks so were read hoping to reach even more individuals. The grant is allowing us to train up to two thousand participants at free or no cost so it's almost like a hundred percent scholarship that's being offered for these individuals and then Aaron and some of our team and the re imagine program helps them get through tracks them checks in you know we've got measures throughout to make sure that we're helping our participants get through the program. here are some of the programs that we currently offer and a part of the grant also allowed us to create ten fully online training programs over the course of the next three years that are specific to our Kansans and specific to the business and industry within Arkansas so that we can help these companies and organizations that need training need individuals and so we've already started with some of that a couple of our first ones are I. T. help desk and customer service and we're working with and WTI in Northwest Arkansas tech to create an online CDL program so that individuals will be able to take at least the first portion and then collaborate for the behind the wheel piece of it. The outcomes I've already mentioned which are just to create an expansion or term education opportunities for anybody that needs to upskill or reskill and reenter the work force. And then to create those new online short term training programs. we're also working to. Remove any barriers so we have coordinators that help individuals that come into the program identify what potential barriers they might have and shorter has even more services that they're able to help with some child care and transportation expenses and things like that. So far we have had eighty two applications forty seven enrolments thirty two are in progress to have been denied because they were eligible for one reason or another maybe they were I'm registered for selective service and chose not to do that or they're no longer interested so I've given you a couple high level new courses that are in development we expect that the number of applications is going to drastically increase when the statewide marketing campaign launches you should be so you probably haven't seen a whole lot yet because it hasn't launched but in the coming weeks we're we're hopeful that you guys will be able to begin seeing some of that. That is it so I'm happy to answer any questions you have okay just. So I have question how does anybody know if I'm a twenty five year old or a thirty year old out here just kind out in the world sitting in my house I've lost my job. How do I know how to get in touch with you yes so several things that we've already done and I'll have air and expand on it it's on social media we've already done some grass roots efforts by contacting like the single parent scholarship fund to let them know of opportunities where the process of cut contacting all the churches across the state of Arkansas to let them know so we're right now we've just done grass roots efforts working with the work force centers if they're not we all eligible they'll refer them over to us so it's been a lot of grass roots the marketing campaign that we're getting ready to launch should be visible so billboards radio ads lots of social media I'd like if somebody go gold for welding school or something like that it would come up in As as a priority within those search ads so it's been grassroots efforts and tell now and then in a few weeks will hit the statewide efforts hi thank you mmhm Senator Elliot. Thank you madam chair adopted dire Is there a question our at the end somewhere in this process for you ask folks how they learned about the grant yes so there is. we do have that information but Aaron is in on the day to day stuff more than I am so I'll answer speak to that so at kind of the way that it's working however they hear about it they're referred to our website which if you want to pull it up we can show up and they complete a secure application online it should take them less than ten minutes and we do collect that as part of the application how did you hear about us so that we can track that information and then we'll be relaying that back to the marketing company that we're working with to help permitted so I I think there were the number eighty two was kind of what you said you the applicant you have now it is that was there any pattern in the way they learned about it my question I'm I want it has been referrals thus far from the various workforce center so obviously we're not trying to compete with the training finding that's available through the workforce centers we just want to be able to complement it so like Dr Dreier said if they don't qualify for services through an Arkansas workforce center Arkansas rehab for whatever reason fortunately are great restrictions are not as stringent and so therefore you know they'll say we'll go check with you if a and reimagined you might can get funding into training through them so right now they're mostly coming as referrals but like she said once we start the big public facing marketing campaign we expect those numbers to look different but those be referrals like from some other workforce services correct correct light okay wrecked their career adviser I've also and and shorter College has as well been presenting at the job search workshops that the various unemployment offices you know require for folks that are collecting unemployment so a lot of it thus far has been like she said just word of mouth I must leave it you I think there to dry you mentioned contacting churches how are you doing that so working yes so. We've kind of tried to again it's we've not had it running very long so that's another reason to have a small number and that part of our grass roots efforts and then also that we will funnel into the marketing company is we've been trying to state wide I mean obviously we have a lot of contacts in northwest Arkansas but we've been trying to expand our contacts around the state so to try to reach different groups that serve different populations such as African American Marshallese are Hispanics us some of those are just community organizations or they also may provide training and finding opportunities we've tried to identify it some of the larger churches across the state because oftentimes they'll share information like that with their congregations we've been trying to reach out to large employers like tears that obviously other funding and training providers so we kind of have different groups of organizations and types of contacts that we're trying to make we provide them with flyers which we brought some today as well that they can print out and post a bulletin boards or if they want to email something will provide you know a little I'm tile that they can in certain to a newsletter but again the professional marketing company will really help us take that to the next level I'll follow up with you I guess about this but my question about how your. Contact in churches and get into everybody that really is a very good way to get to a lot of people but I'm not I'm not quite understanding how you're getting to the churches I'm sorry and yeah we've includes mostly done research just to identify them in our next step is to honestly just email them and introduce ourselves and the program and say you know if you're not the contact person can you share the appropriate person that we should reach out to going forward and here's our contact information please feel free to contact us anytime I can't speak for other groups but I know that something that what caught legislative black caucus is done a great deal of so it would really be a we could be a really good vehicle to getting absolutely getting tell you welcome that so just right you know connect with us absolutely thank you for that suggestion. The representative representative Bragg thank you madam chair over you said all your training is online. What about some of the areas that might need some hands on following that is our pathway for that financing for yes so actually it's going to be included so we did just get approval from our federal grant officer because the grant was awarded because it was fully online but they understand that there are just some programs that you need that hands on training so for CDL is a perfect example they can get all of their instruction online but then when it's time for behind the wheel that'll actually be paid for through the grant to so we will just partner with any organization in the state of Arkansas that's close to wherever that individual is to get that behind the wheel training so they don't have to come to and WTI there to there just are subject matter expert right now forgetting this launched but we that would be one thing that Aaron's job would do is work with any education provider of CDL behind the wheel throughout the state of Arkansas and get that individual connected there okay thank you know we're still piloting those programs to be Frank so working with and WTI is kind of our. Proof of concept Guinea pig program but for example once we launch that and understand better how it works we will start to say connect with other CDL programs through the state or attentional even private companies you know that are offering CDL training and will be able to pay them with grant funds to facilitate those and that participants local area okay just of one for. Is there a deadline for these grants as far as they have to be used at the end of a certain period of time or yes are the funding cycle for our grand and October twenty twenty three okay thank you. Representable Love. Thank you manager okay we'll go that Dr Dre are to this line you have the slide on and who's taking advantage of of your program. That's one no no keep this one all right so I'm looking at the gender breakdown and I'm noticing that. I guess when three out of four R. one out of four. People that are taking advantage of me in. Are we are we looking at any of the I guess the analytics on why it seems to me that women to taken more advantage of this program the man. Well historically I know through our programs through global campus their professional and workforce development the majority of people who are taking professional development from us also are women so we haven't been able to take a deep dive it to figure out why that is but this is not uncommon or unusual in this area okay all right thank you. Senator Johnson. Thank you madam chair of this a little bit of a follow up on representative brags question of. Well then the skills I noted was electrical technician. And I assume that's an ominous calling concurrent with someone who might become an apprentice electrician obviously their safety aspects at I don't want electricians wiring my house that only did the online courses got to be some hands all things and you answer that about CDL and things like that it makes perfect sense but to. And I'm I don't believe me I'm a proponent of of online learning I think it's a tool that we haven't even scratched the surface on how will it can be done but I just wanna make sure that since we have a parallel course. In in the trades for you know printed ships and and someone that's working under the instruction in this case will master lectures shin that these are done concurrently could you elaborate a little bit more on how that would happen absolutely I feel like we are so fortunate because we have worked with the division of workforce services and I. see Cody back here too in the office of skills development and some of these are just pre apprenticeship programs that we are giving individuals the tools to move into the next level it's a career educational pathway not every program is going to be a final and for everybody so if we can move them along and help them along some of these pathways give them the basic fundamentals to get to the apprenticeship program or whatever they need to that's what we're really trying to help them so that one is not for an elector shin specifically they're not gonna go work on your wires at home but we're hoping to create that pathway for them I'm wondering if this is it's probably not the right term but awaited kind of pre screen on the part of the student Gee I really like this or the opposite I thought I would really like this but I really don't so is that part of the process absolutely and we have some history with the office of skills development in the Arkansas center for data science and getting individuals into some pre apprenticeship programs and yes you know just as an example most individuals don't realize there's hundreds of areas of technology that you can go into what's a front end web developer do verses a backend web developer and so these pre apprenticeship wrote programs have really help individuals identify if that's the career pathway for them and then when we do a pre screen them and get them into a pre apprenticeship program they successfully complete than Cody's office and thus Arkansas center for data science is helping them getting placed into true apprenticeship programs where they're learning and earning at the same. Time thank you thank you. Just follow up on that Chesterfield I'm sorry go ahead if I was just gonna say aye aye it's a great question and and it's something that we're striving to learn more about often times we've learned there or not requirements you know by this state or a licensure requirement but like you said employers expect them to have some hands on experience and training nobody wants to get the phlebotomy tech that just watched a video about how to draw blood so even though that's not a requirement State of Arkansas's you know employers expect them to have that experience so we're going to try to facilitate when at all possible that they get that additional experience to really make them competitive in the job market as well we don't want them to just get their online thing and off you know they're on their own so. Senator Chesterfield just a quick question is applying online the only mechanism that can be used in order to access your program. No I mean they can't date we could take it most of the information over the phone if we needed to there are some requirements though that they're going to have to send it in order to qualify so we need some sort of documentation government issued ID like a driver's license so they'll have to take a picture and be able to get those pieces to us my concern is we have so many desserts as for the internet capacity is concerned in many of those places where people need this training the most so I'm wondering are you partnering Dr Childress the unemployment offices that will allow them to apply in an unemployment office is that something that's available to them. Senator Chesterfield and will be glad to provide any access to of one of a computer within our workforce center or taking any application or assist them in getting the information that they so we can count on the cooperation and collaboration of course thank you that's all I need to know. Representative makes. We can expect a question I have is on this thirteen million dollar grant do you have any idea about how many students you will be able to help with that and then I have a follow up sure so of the thirteen million about ten million is coming to the U. of a and all of that I think it's close to seven million of that is direct scholarships of seven million of it goes directly to students for the free training shorter will talk a little bit about their award two and there is is about three and a half million okay about how many students so we are of the grant it is written into the grant that we will serve between our two institutions three thousand students by October twenty twenty three okay that's good do the students have any by an aunt and let me kind of preface service kind of. I'll be honest and the question I'm asking you a lot of times we as humans don't play a whole lot of value on stuff we get for free and so the students to accept these scholarships what responsibility do they have to make sure that they take full advantage of that they complete and if they don't complete is that just a lost resource that someone else is not gonna be able to take advantage of so is that what. Well hopefully understand the question I'm asking your or responsibility does the student have to make sure that utilize these grants to the fullest and if they don't is there any kind of clawback of that funds to help someone else or is it just we should screen battered kind of talked a little about that aspect yeah I'm currently there I mean it's the motivation we've already had several people that start applications but don't even finish and so they're not included in our numbers if they do we have. Processes in place to make sure and check points to help those students get through the program but they're really I mean this is another thing and workforce development that we've struggled with over the past ten years is if you offer something free sometimes people do take advantage of it or don't complete or whatnot so there there's really no stake on the student side except within our application we do say that if you don't complete for whatever reason you're not eligible to take anymore programs so we've had students that we can switch programs for them if they get into a program and then one a different program but if they just completely stopped taking in and and don't finish or complete it makes them ineligible so some of our programs and we've had many conversations about this are stackable so if you want to take front and I. T. web development and then take back and so that you're a full stack developer if you don't finish that first one we're not going to let you try the back and development so we we've tried to implement some of those things as much as we can just to make sure that we can get individuals through the programming okay then my my final question is going for obviously this thirteen million dollars will run out some point have you consider or what do you see going forward if this program is shown to be successful yeah I mean assisting ability piece of it since we will already have the programs built and developed will be able to keep the costs a lot lower for individuals to come in our hope and our federal officer mentioned to us that there's probably going to be other opportunities when this comes up so we want to do a good job do it well shown that we are making an impact within the state of Arkansas and then get future funding to continue in I thank you thank you may have come in follow up to your first question I just wanted to add an so many of the courses. Do lead to a professional certification or licensure of some point the training cost is covered by the grant but those like certification exams are separate so the participant does have to pay for that out of their pocket so I feel like there is some by and although it's more that and then at the beginning of and they do when they apply and accept funds consent that they will participate I'm in you know sharing their data for grant reporting purposes and for follow up surveys and things like that so they do have some commitment just not and any kind of monetary commitment in the beginning. Senator Hammer thank you ma'am sure what efforts have been done to try to match up or to make sure like snap recipients and some of those individuals our made program utilizing the point contact that are available through DHS. So that the federal grant that was awarded was actually awarded to the Arkansas division of workforce services so they are the recipient of the grant and we are just sub recipients so we have weekly meetings and check ins but they are disseminating all this information to all the work for centers were presenting to the work force centers in trying to collaborate as best as we can. Okay I just wonder you know you talk about utilizing churches which is great but I'm just thinking as far as with the network or in place being able to utilize you know DHS is point of contact how they are sold that is being utilized. Yeah doctor children's offices done an amazing job for us of disseminating it just to the other agencies within the state of Arkansas okay and then the same thing would you run over the money and usage thirteen million dollar grant yes and you they got how much of that I think it was about ten point one inch shorter got. Three point five what's the admit that you're are you able to extract administration cost out of that and and what percentage is that four eighty WS or for the U. of a let's just talk about you they so yes we do have admin fees but they capped it so it's not the full administrative grant fee that the your baby normally would take I think it's about. I'm not exactly sure twenty six percent twenty twenty six percent of the grant money is going you of a for administrative costs. Yeah and that's that was the cap that the federal government put on the grant so that each institution want take half of the funding or more than half the funding so yes that's just the administrative fee I'd like to get a break up of how that twenty six percent is being spent in order to administer the program if you can get that to me I will work with Arkansas office to get it to you thank you rejecting mentor. Thank you very much ladies thank you think that's all the questions we have so far. Sheeter presentation gives us a much better idea of exactly what's going on with this grant program and I'm sure it's going to be very successful thank you thank you senator English. So let me see president green and I'm not sure who you want to have with you. The court your. If you all would recognize identify yourselves to be recognized. Which button to a you're on here on the what when the red lights on your on. Thank you senator my name is Sharon green under president of shorter college I'm doctor Hansen still dean of academic affairs and student services. I am honored with the senior special adviser to the president sure college for economic development and program compliance. So gentleman we've heard the. Part of the that the U. S. global Assystem is doing so if you would tell us now what you all are doing with this part of the grant and you up to to reach thank you senator we will try not to be redundant we do have a power point and I will just try to go through it and You highlights that I think indicate sure colleges approach it's already been said that is a thirteen million dollars right Uh that the you you a of global campus has ten million of short a college of has three Meg. would you select. Simply are of excellent. The populations that identifies that to be served in the solicitation of include formerly incarcerated individuals of that's the reentry community of ten of recipients and tell a fellow double unemployed citizens under employed workers and other citizens who are qualified that are out of work by COVID of Nicks let. Of. The the re entry the objective sort of program objectives are three to enroll one thousand persons of from the eligible target population over the three year grant period in certificate programs of to place those students who successfully complete one of our certificate programs And paid internship programs with industry partners and then to place those students who successfully complete certificates and internships in twenty first century jobs. Our primary target population and we believe that the short colleges uniquely of position for this because of a five years of experience provide in prison education as the second chance bill of provider in the State of Arkansas and our participation and development of what we call the echo program which is community re entry so we have offices that specifically work with persons who have been released from prison president and we have said we serve approximately three hundred students every semester who are incarcerated and of course many of those of being released a slat shelves. The statistic that comes from the Arkansas department of correction annual report for twenty twenty that more than six thousand persons were released from ADC and ACC back into the community and twenty twenty we have instructed our re entry office to work with those persons and of because most of those persons who would normally be coming to college we're recruiting them anyway but many of them are not eligible for financial aid and cannot go to college because of some technical some technicality as it relates to the financial aid eligibility of which means that they have stated an interest in attending college they've stated an interest in improving themselves but they don't have any money and financial aid that they thought was available is not because maybe they've been in default in the past maybe the less than twenty five years old and they need to have parental involvement but they don't know where the parents saw of they didn't file a tax return in the previous years and level of financial aid will give them of the things that are really simple they can be rectified over tab that will disqualify them those persons are prime candidates to automatically be fit into of the reimagined grant program of from that community so we're really excited about that BMO is actually an automatic pipeline that exist within our current infrastructure. Could you move your microphone up just pull it up close to look closer okay thank you thank you thank you that's much better I hope you all heard what I said yes. Previously then and because the as a previously said we also like the global campus a working directly with of the work force offices we attend those weekly meetings everybody who's involved attends those weekly meetings of that a conducted to connect of our campus and the global campus two of the of the county offices and then finally under employed citizens of all recruited by us through of companies of that may have people that may be able to refer people to us who are under employed. slash. A I've already said that what about methodologies that we plan to follow is to use grant funds after we provide the certificate training to then place those of students and to internships and we propose the use grant funds to of pay so that those are paid internships and we have experience doing this before we have a project we have a program called project success that the department of education in Washington funds and we have a great experience of being able to take students who are not likely to be successful because of financial issues but being able to to you to identify employers in the areas in which they are studying and placed goals students. On the job in those employees businesses and we pay them from the project's success bombs of that has been very successful and we plan to use of that that the model and of this program thanks a lot. The programs that will be offered our. Six certificate programs information technology certificate IBM badges certificate program and the the use of modules that come directly from IBM and these badges a recognized industry wide at we have an agreement with the apple of the corporation and we have the same access to apple of coating technology so we have a certificate program in apple's swift of coding certification of social media certificate program Microsoft Office certificate program and entrepreneurial studies of certificate program Nicks let. Are expected outcomes of these. Total program of participants projected to be served on the life of the grant and that would be over the next three years up through October twenty twenty three of total for the entire grant program would be three thousand students we expect of you a global campus to serve two thousand as previously stated show a college expects to serve up to a thousand our projection is that using the methodology that we are talking about so that we can achieve a sixty percent of. Completion rate of the certificate programs and operations is that if we can get the student through of the certificate program and get them successfully through of the internship program that we would be able to play seventy percent of those students who do both things into a job and of course the the next two slides separately or seventeen industry employee is that we have spoken with who have agreed to work with us to participate and I program and indicated a desire to Senate bill you to be our partners with these internships. I believe that's. That's it. Is your energy where are you drawing your folks from Mrs central Arkansas or to cross the stator will will get in the vote will will get in them of from across the state we're really getting them from the same pool that the global campus is getting them from we all on the same. Weekly conference calls the one schools that though again that I think it might be unique to us is probably the reentry properly population because we have a relationship with the department of corrections already. and because I did have one final slat and that is the actual number of persons that we have served and so the total people we have in our pipeline right now all who grid and ten we have eight people currently taking courses in the certificate programs we have twenty two persons that as of last week had cleared of the application process and we're ready to start and then we have an additional I guess that would be a the of persons of who have come into application status as a result of of any event that we attended the with the office of work force in forest city last week. I thank you. Senator. Hammer thank you measure the previous presenter commented about people that get started but they don't complete the application or you know they quit along the way those numbers up there in my interpreting that you had eighty that have started the process but you harvested twenty two and eight years and my typing that right yes Sir but this. The the large number just came in we'll we'll right now we don't know how many of those people will shake out into actual program participants. With that I guess on August fourteenth is when we picked up of those applicants okay and and what do you do is a institution to assist people that want to identify that they started the process what are you doing to help them you know maybe maybe they have challenges navigating computer screen or maybe they don't have access to a you know internet service time what is it that you're doing to help drive that percentage up so that those that started. Can actually get into the place where they could be accepted we'll. Well now that we have our office staff we work with them hand in hand to to see to it that they complete the process as they go along and get in role then we will provide counseling and tutoring to keep them encouraged of just just to remand of the committee about the shore college and its mission. This cat and of student is the cast of the student that we work with every day these this is a population so we of our specialize I I would say in dealing with the student who needs an extra piece of encouragement and then removing barriers and that is very much appreciated I noticed in the six feels that you've picked and in dealing with a population that you deal with and the employers have committed do you anticipate say for the incarcerated population that's going to be coming out in in those six programs which seem to have some technical aspects or maybe some clearance requirements I would hate for somebody to take and go through the certification process and them not be able to get a job because maybe they have a felony on their record or something like that can you address that issue you know so that if they go through the certification process they're actually gonna be able to get a job with their history yes of that is also something that we work with on a regular basis and so we would match of the kind of employee is that we would refer of these students to based on what they history as we would not referral student of full job in security who is the previously of convicts convicted felon one of the areas that we offer not part of the real making a grant program but just as a general program make sure to college because we serve these kinds of students is entrepreneurial business and of course you you might notice that one of the certificate programs is an entrepreneurial business and we developed that program not just as a program in business but won an entrepreneurial business because we expect that the popular. In that will serve and may very well get an excellent education developed excellent skills but when they are asked to check the box of simply will not get an opportunity to work and so they need to also have the ability to do the all businesses to open beauty Paula's to open lawn care services or construction activities of other things thank you thank you. Thank manager. Of the center Chesterfield. Standing between everybody in line so I should be very. Presentation all right one of the things that your colleagues at the university talked about was outreach to faith based organizations I think you somewhat have that an enrolled into that could you tell people the the entity with which you are connected that might help you statewide be able to access the ministry's state that like you for the question of some of the Chesterfield short colleges of private faith based institution affected is the only to your private H. B. C. U. in the country of short was founded in eighteen eighty six by the African Methodist Episcopal Church of the bishop of the twelfth episcopal district which is Arkansas and Oklahoma is the chairman of the board of trustees by virtue of the fact that he's bishop of but a of the church in Arkansas and Oklahoma the A. M. E. church is our largest dolore the the relationship between the in the church and the college is of significant of which which is actually means that actionable of the board can take office chair at and put on his bishop AT and speak to approximately four hundred congregations in the state and have pastors and congregations respond in a positive way thank you one of the other things that I suggested when we met with there be out reach to the fraternities and sororities. Because they to serve and they all have a mission that is of service so I'm hopeful that that will be useful manager thank you so very much and thank you all for being here as well. Thank you so very much for your presentations that's the end of the questions but we appreciate you being here and giving us a very informative information about what you're doing and how you're doing it and how this grant program is coming along so we'll invite you back again to add as we go further so that we can determine what the outcomes are thank you so much for this opportunity thank you very much. And now we have. Our closing act. Dr Trina miles and. And the one adult from the are both with the division of workforce services with adult education. In the workforce alliance for growth. As we often see there's a lot of things going on in workforce development a lot of programs happening and this is a very important part of our whole workforce development effort is adult education. So cute introduce yourself to be recognized good afternoon Senator English and committee hi my name is trailer miles and have the pleasure of serving as the director of the adult education section of the Division of our for services. Good afternoon my name is Lana del and on the way each coordinator for the state of Arkansas and I'm also the workforce development coordinator for adult education thank you. I did not have a power point today but I I I I I have paid to stay within ten minutes but before I begin I want to give you guys a reference I want to thank you all for giving us an opportunity to talk about it that education in the state of Arkansas adult education is definitely I transform since I've been here in the last ten fifteen years prior to I guess about fifteen twenty years ago the goal was to help individuals get a GED and we wrecked re referred we realize that that was not enough for individual beaver transition and earn a living wage so Congress along with some of the legislation I decided to put more responsibility on us which is good and our goal was to help individuals to transition into postsecondary educational training or into the workplace and give them some opportunities debate to pretty much improve their lives so identification in Arkansas started like in nineteen sixty five we've been here for fifty six years are we have served over one point five million our cases across the the state and we have had over three hundred thousand GT Ernest most people to think about that education they think about pretty much people getting the GT what we're after we're way more than just the GT of me that's apart we also have to basic academic skills we have English language acquisition for those individuals who are not from US we provide workplace classes like Tyson pace industries and other companies across the state we provide services to them we are family years he programs we do workforce preparation happen individuals get those basic our workplace skills and we also provide services in correctional institutions like jails and halfway houses and prisons. So what age are workforce training program for that education is wasted is being incorporated in nineteen ninety two then was the Department workforce education that encourages patient and wait is a job readiness training program for unemployed and underemployed adults indispensable workforce alliance for growth in the economy and is a program that helps individuals gave those basic skills to help transition them into the workplace but also as a an important component in which we work with employees and contextualize contextualized learning for their particular employees. So there are two levels of ways but before I begin what's unique about ways compared to some of the other job readiness training program is that it has an academic component we are that education so for us are we trying to get these individual some increase skills for the workforce especially these different career pathways were also trying to increase the academic ability so we try to get individuals who maybe fox on eighth grade level up to a twelve point nine grade level and sometimes when you know students transition to higher education many times they have to take a lot of media courses because although they may have a high school diploma they don't have the academic skills will be successful so our goal is to not only reduce the levered mediation but to ensure that with the student's going to these career pathways they can be successful so there are two levels rates never city because the first one is waste of one and is our basic is this whiskey is as of a coupon that is your academic instruction part of is that we have to get we have to assist students with a test of adult basic is education is collocated please so we have to process the students of the Arkansas many hours of destruction we process and. We also incorporate digital literacy so we have to the duties of the US basic computer skills our financial literacy is important especially when you're talking about career pathways individuals have an opportunity to go from earning no money to you know some money and then the last component of it is so simple abilities five steals. That's we're talking about those problem solving skills critical thinking that in part is looking for so this is the basic expectation of error that education provider in the state we do have thirty seven providers across the state we're located on our community college campuses we have seven school districts we have Arkansas corrections school we also have to we call community based organizations owners to councils in the state so between that our Rome of course has been going down over the years and after within the scope it we had property we served about seven eight thousand students I lasted for probably about ten to fifteen years ago we had like thirty four to forty thousand students that we were seven so we've the thing a steady decline across the state is in terms of enrollment. The second part of the wage is level to invest more of your career pathways and this that we get them ready for those basic academic skills and if a student chooses to go on to the next level we expose them to the R. six career pathways is actually as sixty but we have carved out six for right now not palette. And that includes business management administration. Educational training some of our programs are doing para pros because across all counties there's a school district and so we're trying to trying to pare Pro so going to the schools because that's the job that some entry level can get help signs hospitality and tourism information technology and manufacturing and what's unique about the wage program is that we also have a career car so I have to improvise we implemented this probably about eight nine years ago have to have a career coach so we provide them a career service provider training they go through this twelve week of course and we give them the skills they need to actually provide support and assistance to students so some of their duties include administering a career assessment. Because in order for us to identify what those career pathways are we like to get the marker is asking to see what the interests me a lot they also happen complete a Beria's to employment assessment and it's more than just competing assessment and putting it in a file we want to make sure that if a student states that they have an addiction to alcohol that would connect them to resources if they can't if they haven't health issues we're connecting them to the hotel so it's about doing something I really hand holding these the dust because just what someone pointed out earlier sometimes a me prices commit to our center they're motivated because these are does that not required to come to school however sometimes motivation can be bogged down by be areas that they have to face every day SO these career coaches. Serve in that capacity because we are we have wage as an opportunity where they can get it online you really need that human component to help walk some of these at the earliest of the process so that's what the correct coach part does they they also have students we have to with a resumes job search skills if they decide to go into the workforce. They do mark interviews with them if they decide to go into postsecondary educational training program they have them complete a pass for a they have identified a program of interest based on their career assessment and they also figure out ways to help them pay for training so we work closely with a lot of our core part is we work we have services our title one W. A. programs we work with a ten up and snap into you to pretty much help offset the cost of these individuals. So it two thousand forty one W. R. A. was implemented that require a that education to offer integrated education and training and all of his programs across the nation so I ET. Is that education's Bryson of CTP where you actually are are free training programs career preparation concurrently and contextually as helpful us again we still go back to the core of what we are which is education we also help them improve the academics so two years ago with the authority again in the state acclimated to this new process and moving for so in two thousand eighteen nineteen and nineteen twenty combined we had a total of seven hundred forty credentials and certifications given out throughout adult education and not top credentials we had one hundred eighty three CNA a programs the students to pass in a test there to it program we had about ninety. Also ten twenty six materia Hammond the SEC E. R. we have forty two and access for the national center for construction education research we had about. One hundred and thirty five pre apprenticeship programs across the state working with Thomas and other induction my to this and other programs to operate a lobotomy without is there safe entrepreneurship is EDM and of course because with academic institutes we don't have the training component so that's why we have to partner with other agencies such as community colleges so northwest technical institute or the air program. It to the Antioch College I'm not have their office CNA in there also are for this new program because the Northwest Arkansas areas is increases so much in America via the often is zero processing technician program that where individuals can learn how to sterilize equipment for medical use R. E. A. C. C. the air program at college does work with the college with a Perkins grant they just completed three CDS classes of his last couple months ahead about ten participants in each classroom are turned out thirty CDL in the end the air program what they do is they have to get these individuals Brady by happen them to pass a permit before they're able to help them get the academic skills up so when they go to the CDL class are able to be successful and be able to move forward of course Bambi or school district under a program. They're working with the Arkansas disused CORD and restore hope in western Arkansas to get these individuals in their our terms this is a program to get them into see our training happen then get their GED it just you know overall just get there have to get their license back so that they can go back and forth to work our little rock school district here in the rock School District eight and several common association working with some pre apprenticeship program we have SO you take a the enforcement the dedication. You A. M. would be they're working we're currently of the office in days and they have worked with hospitals as well as nursing homes so with these students get done they have a job waiting for. Is what we're although we have a student we also teach about the career pathways we teach about European then are you gonna be as in and the amount of money that you could may depending on what the goals of this student is and after state as I mentioned earlier we are that education across the state we are working with that ten of attendance and and I have been an excellent relationship as far as being able to get some more fine we're able to hire some ten of coordinators work directly with some of the students and we're able to get a lot more scholarships produce use intent upon us because again we don't really have a finding to pay tuition for students snap entity we have been working with snappy T. for the past four five years I did education it is the largest provider of snap ET services across the state and so. We're is seven for the seventy five counties we have the snap into coordinators and just like with the tenant of court days we sent out of them to the C. S. P. class I Chris service provider class so when they come through their classes they have the skills needed to be able to help students Beaver transition either into the workforce or to post secondary educational training we also of course worker Arkansas community corrections been working with them for a number of years we serve you re enter without made a center down in Malvern and we have these individuals get braces to because you know before they're able to be released and then of course Committee a title one office is this development we have services are some of our other state Partners that we work with and without further ado if you guys have any questions I'm not with you there hi rather quickly but I know you Gazaway for life so I don't want to be the person being aware of that. Thank. Thank you so very much I I can attest to the house the importance of the wage program some years back one of the companies in Jacksonville manufacturing company out there use the program quite a bit and and it was a really great opportunity for his employees to be able to increase their skill level so he had an opportunity to promote them into newer positions instead of going out and hiring somebody else you to he took those people that were already good employees and help them to be better employees with more skills and more opportunities for their future so it's it's it's an excellent program and I'm not sure how it's where it is all of the state right now but I know it used to be all of the state and it's an excellent program. Let's see Senator Senator Elliot. Right thank you madam chair I just want to thank you for two things I don't have a question about it I like to be able to say thank you to people as well and one is the fact that you do take the time to do an assessment of the person's interest because so many times with the jobs out there in the lake choose one of these and nobody ever thinks about that person might have a brilliant idea about something he or she could do so I really appreciate that and the second thing is that human touch that you were talking about because a lot of people have not devolved to have in their whole lives from social media there are a lot of the bill is still trying to live in the world of humans and I think that's really a very two very good things that you're doing that I just wanna thank you for not think we need to think about more of that because we don't want to develop it's just a lot of robots yeah and we need people to have those skills of what we call those soft skills but I think actually they are critical skills and we're we're missing that I think in some context of work for services thank you thank you. Representative Scott. Thank you madam chair I'm over here. I just want to say thank you ladies in S.. Director Shuri. Okay for all your hard work and dedication this is very important I work I think probably the kids every day but I I believe you're working with their parents if that makes sense and so I'm trying to develop kids and sometimes using those opportunities to develop their parents as well when we have the chance but with their financial literacy or something like that but I know the work that you do is important I just want to know that figure again of how many certifications you say was completed I heard it was like seven hundred or some of our clients seven hundred and forty that's impressive because I am. I can make that certification to a person if that makes sense so thank you for the work you do that's all I want to thank. I see no further questions ladies thank you so very much for your presentation and adult education is critically important to the state and to the folks that are here we talk about all these other things but I think we've all known for so many years how many folks there are out there who don't have the credentials are having to have the credentials and you the opportunity with adult education to be able to give people a trajectory for their future it may not be the end of their their life it can be the beginning of a new trajectory so thank you so very much for being here Preciado very much and I think with that ladies and gentleman we are adjourned.