Workforce Development
The Fort Smith Regional Chamber of Commerce is committed to collaborating with employers, educators, and community partners to strengthen our talent pipeline and ensure employers have a skilled, diverse workforce to support continued economic growth, personal and professional prosperity, and enhanced quality of life.
The Fort Smith Regional Chamber’s Workforce Development Goals include:
- Work with the business community to determine current and future workforce demand.
- Grow a skilled workforce driven by local business and industry needs.
- Connect the dots between education, training, and what employers require.
- Collaborate with workforce organizations, education, government agencies, and others to build a strong workforce coalition.
- Work with state agencies on initiatives that support the workforce development structure.
- Develop a holistic approach that includes strategic initiatives and tactics.
Career Ready Fort Smith
Career Ready Fort Smith, offered through the Fort Smith Regional Chamber, is a professional resource for individuals in Sebastian, Crawford, Franklin County, Arkansas, and Le Flore and Sequoyah County, Oklahoma. The Career Ready portal connects you to positions located throughout our region. If you are employed and looking for a different opportunity, relocating, interested in returning to work or making your first jump into a career – the Career Ready Fort Smith portal will connect you. Search here to see what great career opportunities are available in our region.
Western Arkansas Regional Manufacturing Council
The Western Arkansas Regional Manufacturing Council supports the continued development of manufacturing in the region and serves as a sounding board for business trends, workforce development, operational ideas, and best practices to facilitate industrial growth. This Council includes owners and leaders from the region’s manufacturing firms.
The Western Arkansas Regional Manufacturing Council focuses on the following strategies:
- Provide peer-to-peer networking and discussion platform.
- Provide informational events on timeless issues that affect manufacturers.
- Serve as a platform for voicing timely interests and concerns of manufacturers.
- Bolster the perception of manufacturing to the public.
Arkansas Manufacturing Professionals
Arkansas Manufacturing Professionals (AMP) is a professional and social organization centrally located in Fort Smith, Arkansas. AMP’s mission is to empower and develop manufacturing professionals, foster professional relationships, drive industry-related success, and serve the local community proactively. For more information on AMP and its programs, click here.
Fort Smith Regional Chamber Annually Recognizes National Manufacturing Day
National Manufacturing Day, set annually for the first Friday in October, is dedicated to recognizing the importance of the manufacturing industry and the technologies and highly skilled jobs included in manufacturing. The Chamber holds a First Friday Breakfast on National Manufacturing Day to highlight local manufacturers and learn more about their operations and innovations. In the week leading up to Manufacturing Day, the Chamber hosts tours at local manufacturing facilities that open their doors to the public to showcase modern manufacturing and positively shift perceptions about the industry.
Fort Smith Regional Chamber Hosts Be Pro Be Proud Draft Day, March 5th – 6th, 2024
The Fort Smith Regional Chamber partnered with Be Pro Be Proud, a workforce development initiative led by the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce and the Associated Industries of Arkansas (ASCC/AIA), to hold Draft Day 2024, a unique hiring event for high school seniors across the River Valley. During the two-day event, almost three hundred students were interviewed for potential post-graduation job opportunities with regional employers, creating a direct pipeline for these students from high school into the skilled workforce. Students hired through the Draft Day event were recognized at the Fort Smith Regional Chamber’s Annual Signing Day.
Fort Smith Regional Chamber Annual Signing Day
The Fort Smith Regional Chamber holds an annual Signing Day event in May to recognize high school seniors for their hard work and career preparation training that translates to jobs in the River Valley region. Signing Day is patterned after ceremonies that honor high school athletes as they gather to sign letters of intent. The Chamber’s Annual Signing Day event is the culmination of applications, interviews, and decisions made by area employers and students who are being matched for full-time employment, internships, and apprenticeships.
Peak Innovation Center
Fort Smith Public Schools Peak Innovation Center forever changes the educational and economic landscape of the River Valley region. The culmination of education, community, business, and industry efforts has forged a path toward a new educational model where industry leaders instruct students in real-world scenarios and on up-to-date, industry-specific equipment. The Peak Innovation Center is where high school, college, and adult learners develop relevant skills and earn industry-specific certifications to drive success across the industry and beyond.
Partners in Education
Fort Smith Regional Chamber of Commerce annually hosts the Partners in Education Luncheon in coordination with Fort Smith Public Schools and the Partners in Education Board. The Chamber can support this event year after year because of the generosity of our members. To learn more about Partners in Education, click here.