Empowering Young People for the Future Economy This week, in cooperation with Arkansas State University, I hosted an event aimed at empowering young people to be a productive part of our economy. The event was designed for educators to gain a fuller understanding of what opportunities are out there for young people headed for the workforce, the skill sets required, and how best to advise their students to be successful. Local industries benefit by sharing with educators what they are looking for in hiring this up-and-coming workforce. We kicked off the event by hearing from Tim Johnston, Associate Director of Career and Technical Education with the Arkansas Department of Education, who shared the latest about the LEARNS Act, and specifically the letter “R” which stands for Readiness. Within the Readiness tenet, the Department hopes to create flexibility for students and design career-ready pathways through technical programs for jobs that are in high demand. Next, we heard from two different panels: one comprised of presidents of local two-year colleges, and another composed of executives from leading manufacturers in Northeast Arkansas – Nucor, Axis, and Hytrol. To wrap up the event, attendees broke off into seven roundtable sessions to have more in-depth conversations led by industry leaders – this time the three panel participants were joined by Riceland, Big River Steel, Trinity, and Anchor Packaging. This event would not have been possible without the collaborative efforts of everyone involved. It is my hope that the relationship between educators and industries that was strengthened at PACE will continue to develop. Ideally, it would be a two-way street: workforce representatives would come into schools to speak with students, while educators would get into the facilities for a first-hand look at the opportunities for which they will be preparing students. With student loan debt being at the forefront of the national conversation, it is my goal that students across the First District have access to the information and options available to them so they can make the best decisions for themselves and their future. I am thankful for Arkansas State University for partnering with my office and allowing us to use their facilities and resources. I am also grateful for the attendees, college leaders, and industry presenters for making career and technical education, and the future of young people, a priority. H.R. 2670 – National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 – Yea Provides pay increase for servicemembers. Provides improved housing and access to healthcare for servicemembers. Cuts inefficient defense programs and, in doing so, saves taxpayers $40 billion or 5% of current defense spending levels. Prohibits funding for the teaching of divisive Critical Race Theory (CRT) in the military. Requires the Department of Defense to report to Congress on how much time and taxpayer dollars have been wasted on CRT training. Arkansas Democrat Gazette With farmers relying more on temporary workers, Crawford eyes changes to U.S. House's Agriculture Labor Working Group U.S. Rep. Rick Crawford, who represents Arkansas's 1st Congressional District, and North Carolina Rep. Don Davis will serve as the group's co-chairs. Crawford and Davis have different legislative backgrounds on Capitol Hill. Crawford, a Jonesboro Republican, became a congressman in January 2011 and has become a senior member of the House Agriculture Committee. Davis, a Democrat, began his first term in January after 14 years in the North Carolina Senate. Jonesboro Sun PACE event explores educational pathways “In the first district of Arkansas, we have a lot of career and technical education opportunities,” he said. “The trick is really going into the high schools and demonstrating that so the educators know how to prepare their students and then going into the industry settings and making sure that they’re addressing the skill sets that they need to be successful.” KJNB Rep. Crawford brings educators, industry leaders together for workforce event Industry and economic development leaders from across the region met with educators to highlight and form new workforce opportunities for students inside the classroom. “This is really about helping students identify their own pathway to success. So, for years we have said ‘if you don’t go get a baccalaureate degree, can’t be successful, and that can’t be further from the truth in today's economy,” said U.S. Representative Rick Crawford. Rep. Crawford | 2422 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515 Unsubscribe [email protected] Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice Sent by [email protected]