When beginning a career search, developing new applicable skills is guaranteed to give job seekers an advantage.
University of Arkansas Global Campus Professional & Workforce Development division is meant to do exactly that for a variety of fields.
Students can find online and hybrid courses in health care, manufacturing, hospitality, human resources and more. After all, the division’s motto is “we have a class for that!”
The coordinators at the Global Campus work with the University of Arkansas and industry experts to deliver quality non-credit courses to those looking to enhance their knowledge for both professional and personal growth. The classes are taught by industry experts and experienced instructors.
Along with the variety of subjects students can learn about, the classes at the Global Campus are set up to offer maximum flexibility. There are new classes starting every few weeks, self-paced online options and in-person classes, and courses that span several months for a maximum of six months, as well as some that are simply a one-day commitment. The in-person courses take place at the Bentonville campus.
The cost of courses can be as low as $60, depending on the subject and length of the class. The longer ones can often be more than $1,000, but there are scholarship opportunities. The U of A Professional & Workforce Development website offers a list of scholarships and other funding options that could assist in the cost of their classes.
Currently, the Global Campus is part of a federal funding initiative called the Reimagine Arkansas Workforce Project. The Reimagine project was set up to provide funding for qualifying individuals to complete free online training that would prepare applicants to meet workforce needs across the state. Any Arkansas resident 18 or older, along with other criteria set up by the grant, can apply. If selected, applicants would have their training fully funded by the U.S. Department of Education. There are 15 in-demand career fields that qualify, which include tourism and hospitality, manufacturing, project management, and health care administration.
The professional development division of the Global Campus has developed partnerships with several distinguished companies in the area, including Tyson Foods, Walmart, Walton Family Foundation, Ozarks Electric and J.B. Hunt. These companies value the curriculum being taught at the Global Campus. When applying for jobs after completing courses at the global campus, job seekers can be confident that the skills they developed will be appreciated by the organizations in Northwest Arkansas.
The U of A Professional & Workforce Development is also great if you are not looking for a new career path, but instead want to improve and grow in the industry you are already a part of. One of the perks of this scenario is that many employers have tuition reimbursement programs for employees looking to develop skills that will elevate their job performance.
Upcoming and ongoing courses include drone pilot training, excel skills, web development, construction fundamentals, phlebotomy, dental assistant, and so many more. Unlike the traditional university experience, taking a class through U of A Professional & Workforce Development does not require an extensive application and acceptance process. Those interested simply need to visit the Professional & Workforce Development website, pick their class, and register directly on the information page. When picking a class, they can even filter out the choices they see by industries and interests such as agriculture, engineering, legal, personal growth, and veterinary, just to name a few.
Learn more at U of A Global Campus.
