Timeline
Be Pro Be Proud launches in New Mexico
The Be Pro Be Proud initiative launched in New Mexico, making it the sixth state in the National Network.
Be Pro Be Proud launches in Tennessee
Be Pro Be Proud launched in Tennessee in mid-October 2023. Community and business leaders gathered together at Volunteer State Community College to officially kick off the program. STEM supervisor for Sumner County Schools was quoted in an article on WKRN saying, “With Be Pro Be Proud Tennessee, we aim to change the perception of these valuable career opportunities and give our students a chance to explore diverse professions, such as electricians, welders, commercial truck drivers, linemen, heavy equipment operators, CNC machinists, forestry workers, and more.”
Draft Day 2023 Grows to Four Events and Builds Talent Pipeline for Major Employers in Arkansas
Draft Day 2023 strategically paired graduating seniors currently enrolled in CTE courses in four markets across Arkansas with employers ready to hire them upon graduation. Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, more than 100 participating companies, and more than 4,000 high school seniors participated. "Though we are experiencing a national shortage of skilled trades professionals in our workforce, through our program, we have commitments from over 4,000 qualified students interested in pursuing technical professions," said Andrew Parker, the executive director of Be Pro Be Proud. "Now is the time for our employers to help support the next generation of talented trade workers."
Draft Day 2022 Strategically Pairs Qualified Students with Employers
Draft Day 2022 strategically paired graduating seniors currently enrolled in CTE courses in northeast Arkansas with employers ready to hire them upon graduation. Be Pro Be Proud Draft Day was held from 8:30 AM until 5:00 PM, at Jonesboro High School. Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, more than 30 participating companies, and more than 200 high school seniors participated. “The seniors are doing interviews, they’re finding out what their career path will be like with different companies,” Hutchinson said. “The companies need good, skilled workers and it gives them opportunities to recruit some of the top talent coming out of our career centers and high schools.”
Be Pro Be Proud Announces 2nd Mobile Workshop to Tour in Tandem with the 2nd Generation Mobile Workshop
Gov. Asa Hutchinson announced the approval of a $1.4 million grant to add a second Be Pro Be Proud mobile workshop for jobs development and recruiting. The grant comes from the Arkansas Office of Skills Development.
Be Pro Be Proud Expands to South Carolina
Modeled after the Arkansas Be Pro Be Proud initiative, Be Pro Be Proud SC is a workforce development project designed to close the skills-gap in South Carolina and remove the stigma from “blue-collar” jobs with the goal of educating students and the public on the appeal and the importance of these jobs for our economy.
Be Pro Be Proud Expands to Georgia
The Cherokee Office of Economic Development (COED) announced the launch of Be Pro Be Proud Georgia – an initiative to bring a new generation of pride, progress, and professionals to Cherokee, metro Atlanta, and Georgia’s skilled workforce.
Be Pro Be Proud Unveils 2nd Generation Mobile Workshop
After the success of the initial Be Pro Be Proud workforce initiative, an additional Be Pro Be Proud Mobile Workshop began touring to encourage Arkansans to consider technical training and provides opportunities, including training and workshops, for students, job seekers, employers and more.
Be Pro Be Proud Initiative Launches Second Mobile Workshop
This morning (Sept. 5) at the Arkansas Statehouse Convention Center, the Arkansas Be Pro Be Proud Initiative unveiled its second mobile workshop. Set inside of a 78-foot double-wide tractor trailer, the Be Pro Be Proud organization hopes to use the new mobile workshop as a proving ground for high schoolers who have an aptitude for work in the trades. Among the speakers at the event were Governor Asa Hutchinson, Senator John Boozman and Scott Moore, the chief administrative officer of Union Pacific, one of the largest contributors to the Initiative.
Be Pro Be Proud Launch
The Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce and the Associated Industries of Arkansas (ASCC/AIA) announced the launch of a new initiative, “Be Pro Be Proud,” to bring a new generation of pride, progress and professionals to Arkansas’s skilled workforce.
Arkansas State Chamber Of Commerce Announces 'Be Pro Be Proud' Workforce Initiative
Little Rock, AR – The Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce and the Associated Industries of Arkansas (ASCC/AIA) recently announced the launch of a new initiative, “Be Pro Be Proud,” to bring a new generation of pride, progress and professionals to Arkansas’s skilled workforce. Today’s skilled professional workforce is aging out and the next generation of new talent is not sufficient to fill the demand. Nationwide, there are an estimated 5.6 million job openings, with approximately 60,000 of these openings here in Arkansas. The majority of these are in high skilled technical fields. The initiative targets many key audiences including high school and nontraditional students, current skilled professionals, legislators, parents, teachers, career coaches and employers to dispel the myths about skilled trade professions, showcase current skilled professionals’ true vocational pride, highlight the many career opportunities available within these trades and provide necessary resources and training to those interested.
State effort aims to fill skilled jobs
Thousands of jobs are available in Arkansas with salaries above the state's average income but there are not enough qualified workers to fill them, state leaders said Tuesday. Gov. Asa Hutchinson and representatives from the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce, the Delta Regional Authority and Wal-Mart announced the start of an initiative, "Be Pro Be Proud," to tell Arkansans of the relatively high-paying jobs. "A skills gap, generally defined as the inability of companies to attract and retain qualified, highly skilled employees, has widened with increasing speed over the past several years," said Randy Zook, chief executive officer of the state Chamber of Commerce. "Companies have jobs they cannot fill while people cannot find jobs they want and can do. The gap impacts companies large and small from the Delta to Northwest Arkansas." Hutchinson said he's an advocate for training the state's workforce to reduce the skilled-trade jobs gap. "I encourage everyone to be a part of the 'Be Pro Be Proud' movement," Hutchinson said. "It shows that we are serious about educating parents and young people about these career paths that are essential to our state's economic growth." The older generation of skilled workers is retiring, and that's the big reason for the jobs gap, Zook said.