FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 19, 2024
Sebastian County Achieves Certification as ACT® Work Ready Community
Sebastian County, Arkansas today announced it has met all criteria to become a certified ACT Work Ready Community, demonstrating its commitment to developing a strong workforce pipeline, desirable to employers, economic developers, and current and future citizens of the county.
The ACT® Work Ready Communities (ACT® WRC) initiative empowers states, regions and counties with data, processes and tools that drive economic growth by identifying skills gaps and quantifying the skill level of their workforce. Participants leverage the ACT® WorkKeys® National Career Readiness Certificate® (ACT® WorkKeys® NCRC®) to measure and close skills gaps and build common frameworks that link, align, and match their workforce development efforts.
To begin the certification process, Logan County leaders attended the ACT Work Ready Communities Boot Camp, an executive leadership and training program designed and led by ACT to initiate, deploy, and drive carefully tailored efforts to improve the county’s work readiness. Leaders met with local employers, policymakers, educators, and economic developers to establish goals and build a sustainable WRC model to fit community needs.
Judge Steve Hotz made the following comments about Sebastian County pursuing the ACT Work Ready community certification. “As Sebastian County Judge, I am proud to lend my support and heartily applaud the efforts of our countywide partners to achieve the status of becoming an ACT Work Ready Community. I am encouraged by our citizen’s dedicated pursuit of ACT certification, providing employers a skilled, diverse workforce to support the County’s continued economic growth, personal and professional prosperity, and improved quality of life. I’ve often said an educated workforce will ensure our economic sustainability and continue to attract additional employers to bring high-quality positions into our County.”
“Congratulations to Sebastian County for becoming an ACT Work Ready Community and joining a growing list of counties dedicated to building a robust workforce,” said ACT Regional Manager of Workforce Initiatives, Cheri Hughes. “The efforts of the county leadership to achieve WRC certification will provide the community with a tremendous economic development advantage and help it stand out for its workforce development efforts.”
For more information on this initiative, go to www.workreadycommunities.org and view all of
ACT’s workforce solutions at www.act.org/workforce.
About ACT
ACT is a mission-driven, nonprofit organization dedicated to helping people achieve education and workplace success. Headquartered in Iowa City, Iowa, ACT is trusted as a leader in college and career readiness, providing high-quality assessments grounded in nearly 60 years of research. ACT offers a uniquely integrated set of solutions designed to provide personalized insights that help individuals succeed from elementary school through career. Visit act.org to learn more.
About Sebastian County
Sebastian County boasts a bustling population of 128,000 citizens. Its largest city is Fort Smith, fourth most populous in the state, grew from a military outpost to a large marketing center for the Southwest. Fort Smith remains a regional manufacturing center as well as a national transportation hub, situated on the Arkansas River and complimented by US Interstate 40, running east-west through the United States, and soon fully completed Interstate 49, running north-south, reinforces the region as a nexus of rail, river, and highway transportation.
A diverse group of people make up the citizenry of Sebastian County. People from all walks of life, from all parts of the United States, and from all over the globe congregate in our area to live and work together. Sebastian County has a great economy, a low cost of living, low unemployment rate, and a healthy mix of manufacturing, industrial, professional, and farming and ranching components resulting in a well-balanced and thriving area in which to live. Excellent schools, low rate of crime, numerous parks and trails, historic centers and museums, our lakes, streams, mountains, and forests make Sebastian County a delightful and welcoming place to live a high quality of life and raise a family. Anita Brackin, Vice President Workforce Development with the Fort Smith Regional Chamber of Commerce stated, “The Greater Fort Smith Chamber of Commerce supports becoming an ACT Work Ready Community to ensure employers have a skilled, diverse workforce to support this region’s continued economic growth, personal and professional prosperity, and improved quality of life.”
Press Contact
Dennis Williamson II, PCED, BREC, CWDP
Director of Workforce Development
Western Arkansas Planning & Development District
1109 S 16th St., Fort Smith, AR 72901
(O) 479-785-2651
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