HARRISON, Ark. (KY3) – North Arkansas College (NAC) held a public ceremony to signify the groundbreaking of the new Center for Robotics & Manufacturing Innovation (CRMI).
Governor Asa Hutchinson, one of the project’s lead supporters, was in attendance Monday as the featured speaker.
“This is a culmination of what we dreamed of and what we wanted to accomplish. It’s going to be a real difference for our young people,” said Gov. Hutchinson.
Governor Hutchinson, who has come to the end of his term as state governor, says he has focused on improving developmental programs that will benefit the Arkansas economy.
“We are a nation of people who are creative and know how to work with our hands and build things,” he said. America can never lose the ability to build things.”
The $8 million facility will comprise 30,000 square feet of classrooms and instructional labs to train the future workforce with state-of-the-art equipment. In June, the college received $3 million in funding from the state.
Additional funding has also been awarded from the Economic Development Administration Grant in partnership with Northwest Economic Development District (NWEDD) combined with $700K from Boone County Economic Development Committee (BCEDC) added to $773K in private and local grants, including a development grant from the city of Harrison.
“This gives us a new day to continue to emphasis to our local manufacturers that we want to be their employer of choice,” said Rodney Arnold, Vice President of NAC. “We’re striving to continue to provide good quality employees trained in specialized areas that local manufacturers.”
Harrison is home to 15 major manufacturers, a testament to industry’s vitality to the local economy.
“This is a part of the shift in secondary education to these specialized trade fields,” said Arnold. ” We want people to come here or stay local and learn a trade they can develop so that they are ready to work the first day they start with a local business.”
NAC anticipates construction to begin within the next month, with hopes of holding classes in the Fall semester of 2024.
“This kicks it up a notch in terms of what we can provide to our local businesses in terms of what training we can provide,” said Arnold.
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