Arkansas Code Title 20. Public Health and Welfare § 20-76-445. Career Pathways Initiative

(A) Becoming increasingly important for the State of Arkansas to maintain a competitive workforce; and

(B) Critical for adults to qualify and obtain high-wage employment; and

(A) Individuals improve their education credentials in order to qualify for higher-wage jobs;

(B) Eligible persons have access to postsecondary education programs that meet the specific needs of working adults;

(C) Institutions of higher education offer programs targeted to the specific workforce needs of their area within the state; and

(D) Our state provide services aimed at improving employment prospects for low-income adults.

(b)(1)(A) The Department of Human Services, the Division of Workforce Services, the Division of Higher Education, and the Arkansas Workforce Development Board shall work jointly to develop a plan for the Career Pathways Initiative.

(B) The plan shall be updated annually.

(A) Increase the access of low-income parents and other individuals to education credentials that qualify them for higher-paying jobs in their local areas;

(B) Improve the preparedness of the Arkansas workforce for high-skill and high-wage jobs;

(C) Develop training courses and educational credentials after consulting local employers and local workforce boards to identify appropriate job opportunities and needed skills and training to meet employers' needs;

(D) Provide resources on the basis of performance incentives, including participants:

(E) Use available Temporary Assistance for Needy Families funds for participants who have custody or legal responsibility for a child under twenty-one (21) years of age and whose family income is less than two hundred fifty percent (250%) of the federal poverty level; and

(F) Incorporate the existing Career Pathways Program.