The U.S. Department of Labor has approved Arkansas’ Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act State Plan, clearing the way for major changes to the state’s workforce development system.
The Combined WIOA-Perkins State Plan is the first combined plan of its kind in Arkansas history.
State officials say the plan is designed to strengthen workforce development, expand career opportunities for Arkansans and help employers find the workers they need.
The plan brings workforce and education programs together under a more coordinated statewide system.
Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the changes are designed to move more money away from administrative expenses and into services for Arkansans.
“Arkansas taxpayers deserve a workforce system that spends its money on people, not paperwork,” Sanders said.
Under the plan, Arkansas will consolidate 10 workforce boards into 1 statewide system.
State officials estimate the change will redirect approximately $6 million from duplicative operating and overhead expenses into direct workforce services for Arkansas residents and employers.
The plan also establishes Arkansas as a single statewide workforce planning area.
The Arkansas Workforce Development Board will carry out functions currently handled by local workforce development boards.
Arkansas Workforce Connections will handle service delivery through an integrated staffing model.
The state describes the new system as a “No Wrong Door” approach, designed to make it easier for Arkansans to access workforce programs, training and employment assistance regardless of where they initially seek help.
Arkansas Secretary of Commerce Hugh McDonald called approval of the plan a major turning point for the state.
McDonald said the plan gives Arkansas a framework for modernizing workforce development and better responding to the needs of workers and businesses.
Arkansas Workforce Connections Executive Director Cody Waits said the plan will strengthen cooperation across the state and help connect more Arkansans with meaningful careers.
Arkansas Workforce Connections, a division of the Arkansas Department of Commerce, will work with workforce partners throughout Arkansas to implement the plan.
Implementation is currently anticipated for July 1, 2027.
Workforce Connections also plans to work with employers and industry associations to establish business workforce councils across Arkansas.
State officials say those councils will give employers a stronger voice in determining how workforce services and funding are directed toward career pathways needed by Arkansas businesses.
The U.S. Department of Labor’s approval represents another step toward creating a more coordinated statewide workforce system designed to connect Arkansans with training, employment services and career opportunities while helping employers build their workforce.
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