UA Pulaski Tech and Port Of Little Rock unveil Project LIFT with $20 million in federal support

UA Pulaski Technical College and the Port Of Little Rock onstage Thursday announced Project LIFT, a partnership to build a workforce training center at the port that college and elected leaders said is backed by a $20 million federal allocation and a letter from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development confirming the funds. Summer Deprow, chancellor of UA Pulaski Technical College, introduced the initiative and named local and federal partners present for the event.

Leaders said the center — described as a 45,000-square-foot facility with potential to expand to about 55,000 square feet if additional philanthropic support is secured — will train students in robotics, logistics and advanced manufacturing and be available to employers statewide. "This 20,000,000 allocation is an investment with a guaranteed return," Deprow said, urging rapid movement to procurement and construction steps.

Sen. John Boozman, who was introduced by Deprow and addressed the gathering, framed the federal funding as reinvestment of tax dollars into Arkansas communities and highlighted the port's regional economic role. "Arkansans deserve to have their hard earned tax dollars reinvested in their communities," he said, and described the port as a regional engine that already supports thousands of jobs.

Brian Day, executive director of the Port Of Little Rock, said the port hosts more than 50 businesses and that the training center will strengthen industry-specific skills where employers need them. "Because of Sen. Boozman's efforts and support, we are proud to announce this partnership with UAPTC and the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce to build a state of the art workforce development center right here at the Port Of Little Rock," Day said.

Jay Cheshire, president and CEO of the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce, and Mayor Frank Scott Jr. emphasized the center's role in local competitiveness and job growth. Cheshire said the facility will "take skills that are already here and improve them," helping the region recruit new industry. Mayor Scott cited recent regional growth figures and said expanding local training capacity is essential to sustaining and improving the area's economic ranking.

Cody Waits, executive director of the Arkansas Division of Workforce Connections, described prior trips to study out-of-state robotics centers and said Arkansas has sometimes exported training because of limited local capacity. "In order to be more competitive ... this is 100% the direction we have to go as a state," Waits said, adding that the Department of Commerce and Workforce Connections plan to help support company training at the new center.

Deprow provided implementation steps and program notes: she said the college has received a HUD letter confirming funds, expects forthcoming guidance for requests for qualifications (RFQs) and procedural steps, and anticipates a facility footprint in the 45,000–55,000 sq ft range depending on philanthropy. She also cited a UA Pulaski Technical College recidivism-reduction pilot involving four cohorts with a 100 percent graduation rate, saying the center will expand pathways for populations returning to the workforce.

Organizers said the center will focus on employer-driven curriculum and on moving learners quickly from enrollment to employment. The event concluded with Deprow asking partners to proceed to the next procurement steps; officials said RFQs and additional guidance would arrive in the coming weeks.