The University of Arkansas at Rich Mountain recently hosted 72 high school students from Mena, Acorn, Cossatot River, Oden, Waldron, Caddo Hills, and Mt. Ida for Experience the Power. The purpose of the event is to give students an opportunity to experience technical careers and the opportunities for training in these technical areas. The majority of the students who attend are interested in pursuing alternative training programs other than the traditional four-year degrees typically offered. Mike Godfrey and Janet VanDeest, organizers of Experience the power, spoke to the goal of providing relevant information to local students, “We provide an opportunity to see careers or jobs that can be done with as little as eight weeks of training, all the way up to a Certificate of Proficiency in a semester, or Technical Certificate in a year or more.”
Experience the Power was made possible by funding DeQueen-Mena Education Service Cooperative (DMESC) through an Arkansas Division of Career Education Non-traditional grant award. Stacey Southerland, speaking on behalf of DMESC, commented on another powerful result of the event, “The goal of this grant was to provide an opportunity for students to explore careers that might be non-traditional for their gender in a hands-on way.” UARM students and instructors demonstrated the skills and opportunities offered in each one of the technical programs offered at UA Rich Mountain. Programs represented at Experience the Power were Welding, Machine Tool, Information Systems, Nursing, Medical Coding, Phlebotomy, Medical Professions, and EMT.
UA Rich Mountain affords all students, but especially junior and seniors at local schools the opportunity to earn certificates in technical training programs. Career Center is a program that gives students the ability to take technical training classes in Welding, Machine Tool Technology, and Medical Professions. After completing the program, students have the opportunity to obtain certificates in these programs that make them job ready. “The best part of the program is that it is free for 11th and 12th grade students. The program also pays for the program kits that are required for the class. It is a great opportunity,” says Godfrey.
For more information regarding technical programs or a variety of training opportunities at UA Rich Mountain, please contact the Admissions Department. 479-394-7622%2FadmissionsUARICHMOUNTAIN
UA Rich Mountain provides transformative education to all learners.