Workforce Events
Arkansas Advanced Energy Foundation hosts a variety of in-person and virtual events to engage Arkansas’s current and potential energy workforce, share resources and gather insights to better understand and grow the energy sector.
If you are looking for networking, policy updates, or advocacy efforts, check out our Association’s event calendar and consider joining as a member.
SkillStream Employer Forum - Fort Smith
The City of Fort Smith, in partnership with the Arkansas Advanced Energy Foundation (AAEF), is proud to launch SkillStream—a local, employer-driven initiative to build a skilled workforce for Arkansas’s fast-growing advanced energy industry.
Your participation in the forum will:
Allow us to custom-build training programs based on your hiring and skill needs
Connect you with funding streams and incentives
Provide early access to top candidates
Help improve retention, innovation, and productivity
Align your company with economic development efforts shaping the region’s energy future
This is a signup form to show interest for SkillStream; attendance to the Fort Smith Employer Forum is optional. Regardless of attendance, we will send a survey to collect employer-specific hiring, retention, and training needs. The forum is free and will include boxed lunches. RSVP by 7/14 to reserve a boxed lunch.
For more information about SkillStream, click here.
SkillSync: Q3 Call for Renewable Energy
The Arkansas Advanced Energy Foundation (AAEF) is hosting quarterly workforce calls called SkillSync that offer Arkansas’ advanced energy employers a platform to share workforce needs and opportunities, align training and career development practices, and collaborate with training providers, government agencies, and other partners to address industry workforce challenges.
These are sector-based and include calls for HVAC/Controls/Boilers, Energy Efficiency, and Renewable Energy.
Topics are timely and may include:
Industry Career Exposure
Training Opportunities
Candidate Sourcing
Licensure/Code/IRA
Advocacy
Marketing/Awards
Funding.
All are welcome and we encourage you to share the invites. Your contributions are invaluable in ensuring that our four hours per year of collaboration effectively drive progress in workforce development across the industry. If you’d like to be added to one of the sector calls, please contact April.
SkillSync: Q4 Call for Energy Efficiency
The Arkansas Advanced Energy Foundation (AAEF) is hosting quarterly workforce calls called SkillSync that offer Arkansas’ advanced energy employers a platform to share workforce needs and opportunities, align training and career development practices, and collaborate with training providers, government agencies, and other partners to address industry workforce challenges.
This call is for Energy Efficiency and contractors, including electricians, plumbers, and HVAC/Controls/Boiler technicians.
Topics are timely and may include:
Industry Career Exposure
Training Opportunities
Candidate Sourcing
Licensure/Code/IRA
Advocacy
Marketing/Awards
Funding.
All are welcome and we encourage you to share the invites. Your contributions are invaluable in ensuring that our four hours per year of collaboration effectively drive progress in workforce development across the industry. If you’d like to be added to one of the sector calls, please contact April.
emPOWER Arkansas Conference & Expo
EmPOWER Arkansas Conference & Expo will be hosted by Arkansas Advanced Energy at the Wyndham Riverfront in North Little Rock, Arkansas, on Monday, October 20, 2025, and Tuesday, October 21, 2025. This two-day event is where industry leaders, policymakers, and innovators converge to shape what’s next. This will be the first year that the conference will include an industry exposure event for students and job seekers. You do not have to be a member of Arkansas Advanced Energy Association to attend.
To register, sponsor, reserve a booth at the expo or submit a presentation proposal, visit https://www.arkansasadvancedenergy.com/arkansas-advanced-energy-empower-conference-expo.
SkillStream Employer Forum - Central Arkansas
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
SkillSync: Q3 Call for Energy Efficiency
The Arkansas Advanced Energy Foundation (AAEF) is hosting quarterly workforce calls called SkillSync that offer Arkansas’ advanced energy employers a platform to share workforce needs and opportunities, align training and career development practices, and collaborate with training providers, government agencies, and other partners to address industry workforce challenges.
This call is for Energy Efficiency and contractors, including electricians, plumbers, and HVAC/Controls/Boiler technicians.
Topics are timely and may include:
Industry Career Exposure
Training Opportunities
Candidate Sourcing
Licensure/Code/IRA
Advocacy
Marketing/Awards
Funding.
All are welcome and we encourage you to share the invites. Your contributions are invaluable in ensuring that our four hours per year of collaboration effectively drive progress in workforce development across the industry. If you’d like to be added to one of the sector calls, please contact April.