Two higher education institutions in northeast Arkansas are joining forces to help prepare the region’s workforce. Black River Technical College and Williams Baptist University formally signed a workforce partnership agreement Tuesday, Feb. 17, in a ceremony on the Williams campus.
“The partnership we sign today joins two outstanding and very distinct institutions in common cause to equip the workforce of the future,” said WBU President Dr. Stan Norman. “Each of these institutions brings its individual strengths to the partnership, complementing one another on a variety of fronts, and forming a bond that makes both of us stronger and better able to prepare our students for the workplace.”
“We at BRTC see this collaboration as about something bigger than ourselves,” said BRTC President Dr. Martin Eggensperger. “By working together, we can ensure our Heroes, Leaders, and Craftsmen stay in the region, fueled by a network that supports both their immediate job placement and long-term career growth.”
The partnership agreement calls for BRTC and WBU to share a variety of resources as they work together for workforce training. Specifically, BRTC and WBU plan to develop shared degrees and educational pathways, shared instruction, shared facilities and shared workforce support services.
A key goal of this partnership is to support the Arkansas Workforce Strategy, a statewide initiative launched in 2024 by Governor Sarah Sanders and her administration. This strategic initiative focuses on education and workforce training to equip Arkansans for high-demand, well-compensated careers while ensuring that employers have access to a well-prepared, highly qualified workforce.
An area of emphasis within the state’s workforce strategy is aligning training and career pathways, which involves connecting education systems to current workforce needs. The state is encouraging partnerships like the one signed by BRTC and WBU in order to equip workers in an effective and efficient manner.
The agreement signed by the two schools states in part, “Both institutions affirm their commitment to a collaborative, industry-focused, skills-based, and responsive approach to workforce education, consistent with the strategic themes outlined in the Arkansas Workforce Strategy: collaboration, skills-based training, and responsiveness to evolving labor market needs.”
“This partnership presents us with a great opportunity to address workforce needs in the state of Arkansas,” Norman noted. “This shared commitment answers the call of Governor Sanders and her administration in preparing a well-trained workforce to meet the objectives laid out in the Arkansas Workforce Strategy.”
The Arkansas Department of Education was on hand Tuesday to show its support for the WBU-BRTC partnership, with Secretary of Education Jacob Oliva speaking at the event. Chief Workforce Officer Mike Rogers and several other officials also represented the state.
“We are proving right here in Arkansas, rural Arkansas, that we can be innovative and develop a model that can lead the nation,” Oliva commented. “So I applaud the work that’s happening here because this is the shining star that we’ve been looking for. This is the example that we can rise up and use as a model to other parts of our state, and now every other state is going to want to know what Arkansas is doing.”
The field of agriculture is expected to be a point of collaboration between the two schools, with an emphasis on the growing area of precision agriculture. Norman pointed out that WBU has recently been approved to offer a three-year (90 credit hour) bachelor’s degree in Agribusiness, which could allow those who complete an associate’s at BRTC to transfer to WBU and complete their bachelor’s in one additional year.
The two schools say they plan to explore other academic disciplines, as well, for potential collaboration. A steering committee will be formed with representatives from both institutions to develop a plan of implementation for the workforce partnership.
BRTC’s flagship campus is in Pocahontas, with additional campuses in Paragould and Piggott.
WBU is a private, Christian university in Walnut Ridge.