Caterpillar to Invest $3 Million in Arkansas Workforce Training

Caterpillar Inc. will invest up to $3 million to help prepare the Arkansas workforce for modern manufacturing and technician jobs (KARK.com).

What’s going on: The funding allocation, which the construction and mining equipment maker announced in August together with Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, is the fifth in Caterpillar’s $100 million, nationwide Building the Future Workforce Initiative.

• The initiative aims “to help equip the workforce of the future with the skills needed … to meet global market demands as the world undergoes a rapid digital transformation,” according to Caterpillar.

• In early August, the company announced a $10 million investment in Illinois, and in July, it said it would put at least $5 million toward the project in Texas.

• Caterpillar’s North Little Rock site, which uses advanced manufacturing technologies to boost efficiency, productivity and cost management, “opened in 2010 as a dedicated motor grader plant and has since expanded production to include medium wheel loaders and paving equipment,” KARK reports.

What it will do: The $3 million will support collaboration between Arkansas training institutions, employers, students and community groups “to expand opportunities for affordable workforce training in workforce-focused training opportunities.”  

Why it’s important: “You can’t build the industries of tomorrow without building the workforce to power them,” Gov. Sanders said in a press release. 

• “Caterpillar understands that the future of manufacturing depends on investing in people just as much as technology. By connecting training directly to the needs of employers, this initiative will give more Arkansans the skills to step into good-paying careers and give businesses another reason to invest, expand and create jobs in our state.”

The bigger picture: Caterpillar’s investment reflects a broader shift among manufacturers toward employer-led workforce development, connecting training more directly to the skills that companies need as roles evolve.

• The company’s Building the Future Workforce Initiative builds on their longstanding partnership with the Manufacturing Institute, the NAM’s 501(c)3 workforce development and education affiliate, with which it shares a commitment to developing scalable solutions to manufacturers’ workforce challenges.