Arkansas Advanced Energy hosts successful first SkillStream Employer Forum
The Arkansas Advanced Energy Foundation (AAEF) in partnership with Metroplan hosted the first of two SkillStream employer forums at Shorter College in North Little Rock on Wednesday, July 16, 2025. The free forums are an important component of AAEF’s SkillStream program, a local, employer-driven initiative to build a skilled workforce for Arkansas’s fast-growing energy industry.
The Central Arkansas SkillStream Employer Forum brought together almost 80 energy industry employers, workforce partners, and educators to highlight workforce pathways in advanced energy careers. Through panel discussions and partner presentations, attendees defined the growing industry, shared success stories, identified challenges, and explored collaborative strategies to strengthen the regional talent pipeline.
If you are a Central Arkansas employer, we still need your input! We encourage as many qualified employers as possible to fill out the Workforce Needs Assessment by August 9, and be entered into a drawing for a number of gift cards. After the deadline, we’ll compile the results and share them during a virtual meeting with our community and workforce partners to explore ways we can combine our resources to meet employer needs, identify gaps, and begin sourcing candidates.
Speakers included Lauren Waldrip, Executive Director of the Arkansas Advanced Energy Foundation; Clint O’Neal, Executive Director of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission; Stephanie Isaacs, Associate Director at Arkansas Department of Commerce, Office of Skills Development; Dr. Jeffery Norfleet, President of Shorter College; April Ambrose, Director of Workforce Development for Arkansas Advanced Energy Foundation, and Vivian Brittenum, Director of Business Services & Special Projects for Central Arkansas Planning and Development District.
The forum also included an employer success panel, with insights from Kelly Hollis, Jr., Owner of EcoPump HVAC LLC; Beth Williams, Human Resources Director for Powers of Arkansas, and Danny Brown, Owner/Manager of Wade Company.
The free forum, which included lunch, offered an opportunity for employers to share insights that will directly shape the design of Arkansas’s advanced energy workforce training and hiring pipeline. Employers participating in the forum also received:
Access to funding streams and incentives;
Assistance improving retention, innovation, and productivity, and
Insights about economic development efforts shaping the region’s energy future.
The forums are made possible through a Climate Pollution Reduction Grant awarded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to Metroplan, Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission and the City of Fort Smith. The Central Arkansas SkillStream Employer Forum is supported by Central Arkansas Planning and Development District, Arkansas Office of Skills Development and Shorter College. The Fort Smith Employer Forum is supported by the Western Arkansas Planning & Development District and the Arkansas Office of Skills Development.
Thank you to everyone who made this event a success! Your time, insights, and ongoing collaboration are vital as we work together to grow and support a skilled energy workforce in Arkansas.
More information about the forums, SkillStream, and AAEF is available on the AAEF website. Questions may be directed to April Ambrose: workforce@arkansasadvancedenergy.com.
