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Community celebrates launch of Project LIFT workforce training facility

State and local leaders gathered at the Little Rock Port Authority on Thursday to celebrate the launch of Project LIFT, a $20 million workforce training initiative designed to serve as a primary engine for Central Arkansas's economic growth.

The acronym, which stands for “Lifting Individuals for Future Talent,” represents a transformational investment in the regional labor pipeline. The event drew a distinguished group of supporters, including U.S. Sen. John Boozman, Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr., and Little Rock Port Authority Executive Director Bryan Day, Jay Chesshir, president and CEO of the Little Rock Regional Chamber, and Cody Waits, executive director of the Arkansas Division of Workforce Connections.

The new facility marks an exponential expansion for UA - Pulaski Tech. By moving its Business and Industry Center to the heart of the region’s industrial hub, the college aims to provide direct instruction in critical fields such as robotics, logistics, and advanced manufacturing.

"This $20 million allocation is an investment with a guaranteed return," UA-PTC Chancellor Summer DeProw said. "You are investing in the industrial electrician who will keep our manufacturing plants humming and, most importantly, the social and economic mobility of thousands of hard-working Arkansans."

The chancellor emphasized that while the facility is designed to meet immediate needs, it is also built for the long term.

"We don’t know what the cutting-edge technologies of 2050 look like yet, but this facility will be here to rise to the occasion," DeProw said. "Our message to industry is, if you have the demand, we have the expertise and the drive. We move people from enrollment to employment at the speed that modern business requires."

The college recently received confirmation from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) that funds for the facility have been secured. Procedural steps, including Requests for Qualifications (RFQs), are expected to begin in the coming weeks.

Current plans outline a 45,000-square-foot facility, though college officials noted the footprint could expand to 55,000 square feet depending on philanthropic support secured in the coming months. Chief Advancement Officer Laurie Ann Ross is currently coordinating with interested parties to reach those expanded fundraising goals.

"Education and workforce development are great equalizers," Dr. DeProw said. "As we break ground on this new era at the Port of Little Rock, let us commit to the idea that in Arkansas, no one will be left behind because they lack the opportunity to learn."