Robotics center in Harrison gets $2M; grant funded by U.S. rescue plan


A federal agency is contributing $2 million to help complete development of North Arkansas College's Center for Robotics & Manufacturing Innovation, a workforce training initiative that will support industry in the region.

The initiative, near completion of its fund-raising phase, picked up significant support with the commitment from the Economic Development Administration, which is part of the U.S. Department of Commerce. EDA's investment will be matched with $5.4 million in state and local funds.

"This is the missing piece we've been waiting for," Rick Massengale, college president, said Tuesday of the EDA grant.

Plans call for breaking ground this summer on the 32,500-square-foot facility and have training operations up and running in the next two years. The training center, estimated to cost $8 million, will house the school's manufacturing, machining, robotics, electronics and IT programs.

Training programs will be industry-driven and shaped to provide advanced-manufacturing training for businesses across Arkansas, Massengale said.

"This is all being done to support industry," he added. "We have a lot of backing from industry in our area and they're on our advisory board, giving us input. We're really depending on them to help us build this into what it needs to be to meet their needs."

The Harrison center will be one of only two FANUC-certified robotics training facilities in the South, according to Massengale. FANUC America Corp. is one of the world's leading suppliers of robotics equipment, with more than 25 million products installed in factories and innovation centers across the globe.

North Arkansas College's initiative is a prime example of state efforts to promote advanced manufacturing and training and encourage participation in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) fields, according to Commerce Secretary Mike Preston.

"North Arkansas College's Center for Robotics & Manufacturing Innovation is an excellent resource for the state to continue to attract and train an educated workforce in STEM fields," Preston said Tuesday. "This center is the latest tool in our belt to diversify our economy and make Arkansas a destination for STEM workers, and the EDA grant will go a long way to make it happen."

The school will offer advanced-manufacturing training to high school graduates and also will make the facility available to businesses that want to improve workers' training and skills. "What we hope comes out of this is not something that helps industry replace jobs but helps upskill their people so they can maintain high-tech jobs," Massengale said.

Harrison and Boone County have an aging workforce and manufacturing industries that operate in the global marketplace, making workforce training vital to the area's remaining competitive, according to Bob Largent, president and chief executive officer of the Harrison Regional Chamber of Commerce.

"Manufacturing is crucial to what we do," Largent said Tuesday. "The missing ingredient has been a technology-focused skill set to take this aging workforce and give them the skills necessary to remain competitive. This gives Harrison and Boone County an opportunity to be at the forefront of upskilling the workforce on the newest technologies."

In addition to specific training programs, the facility will offer "makerspace for industry" to test new production lines or conduct research-and-development efforts for potential new products, Massengale said.

EDA funding is made through the American Rescue Plan Economic Adjustment Assistance program, which set aside $500 million in grants to help industry recover from the pandemic and boost job opportunities in local communities.


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