Community, Economic, & Workforce Development
What to expect from us? The Community, Workforce, and Economic Development team is here to work with you to create a community where people want to live and companies can thrive through quality of place, business assistance, and workforce development. Our team works with your community to create a tailor made approach with the support of a statewide network. 

Building and Supporting Nonprofit and Community-Centric Organizations in your Community

From an asset-based community development perspective, all communities have 6 assets to share with one another: talents, skills and passions of individuals; associations which are community groups and networks; institutions which are government and non-government agencies; built and natural resources which are physical assets; economic assets, and cultural assets. 

Our team provides ways to uplift associations and institutions in your organization. Specifically, we provide workshops and trainings, in partnership with you.

• Capacity Building through Grant Writing (sample flyer attached)
  1. A two-day workshop for up to 50 people in your community
  2. We ask agents to host and promote the event; secure lunch (if lunch is built-in); facilitate a location; and help us shape the agenda in ways that support your specific county’s strengths and areas of focus.
  3. Contact Tabatha Duvall, tduvall@uada.edu, for more information and to set up a training in your community.
• Volunteer Recruitment, Retention, and Expansion (sample flyer attached)
  1. A presentation and conversation with your Extension County team (all staff) to think through how you are recruiting, engaging and retaining volunteers in your community through an asset-based community development lens. We explore who is engaging in your programs currently and who is not engaging in your programs as volunteers. We then think intentionally about how you can recruit, engage, and retain additional volunteers who are not currently involved but are critical voices in your county. We explore how you can build a volunteer community where people feel valued and know that their skills and gifts are a key part of your County’s Extension programming.
  2. A shared in-service in partnership with 4-H, Family and Consumer Sciences, and Agriculture volunteer programs is coming soon.
  3. Contact Hunter Goodman, hgoodman@uada.edu, for more information and to set up a conversation in your community.

ABCD

Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) is a strategy for sustainable community driven development. Communities can drive the development process themselves by identifying and mobilizing existing, but often unrecognized or overlooked, assets, and thereby responding to and creating local economic opportunity. ABCD builds on the assets that are already found in the community and mobilizes individuals, associations, and institutions to come together to build on their assets-- not concentrate on their needs.

Link ABCD Presentation – Basics

Community, Workforce, and Economic Development will be partnering with Family and Consumer Sciences on an Extension Wellness Ambassador program. The goal of this program is to recruit volunteer ambassadors in six Arkansas counties to be educated alongside the county agents in several facets of health and wellness. These ambassadors will become the hands and feet of the organization in their counties to help teach health programs to those who are in most need. 

Asset-Based Community Development will be used in the recruitment pieces of the Ambassador Program. By focusing on the strengths, gifts, and talents of those potential volunteers, a more targeted and fulfilling program can be built.

story from one or more of the agents

Contact Dr. Hunter Goodman or Tabatha Duvall to schedule a planning session for your community or to see how Asset-Based Community Development can elevate your programs.

 

WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

Workforce Development is where primary, secondary, vocational, and higher educators come together with employers and industry and community leaders to determine career pathways that will guide and prepare students to become well trained and effective employees, business owners, and entrepreneurs. As the landscape of the workforce changes, it is important for communities to come together and form a comprehensive, effective, and collaborative workforce development plan focused on economic development with both short-term and lifelong learning as well as employee recruitment and retention.

Tools and Programs

FORWARD or Future Opportunities in Rural Workforce and Rural Development is a program of the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities and Ascendium aimed to identify career pathways for potential workers and connect the community and current programs to support resources.  FORWARD was piloted with University of Arkansas Extension in Hempstead County and a curriculum is being developed to become a tool for County Extension Agents nationwide.

Beginning in Spring ’23, our team will be expanding upon FORWARD to bring the created curriculum to more Arkansas counties. We will be focusing on Arkansas based opportunities to create an accessible workforce development program for our counties. If your county would be interested in participating, contact Tabatha Duvall.

CREATE LIFT (Celebrating REtail, Accommodations, Tourism and Entertainment by Leading Innovation through WorkForce Training) is a workforce development certification focused on skills and information for those working in retail, entertainment, accommodations, and/or tourism sectors.

Developed through CREATE BRIDGES, CREATE LIFT is a ten hour self-led program available in both English and Spanish.

If there are community members or business owners who would be interested in providing CREATE LIFT to their employers, they can sign up here.

Arkansas Business Navigator

What is it?
Arkansas Business Navigator Project (ABN) is a multi-partner initiative of the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center (ASBTDC) that seeks to assist businesses with access to capital, business development, contracting and procurement, marketing, operations and exporting, and help small businesses address and overcome some of the systemic challenges that face entrepreneurs from underrepresented communities. CPED Program Associates Brandon L. Mathews and Kam Gomez are leading UADA's efforts as one of six state partners. All programming and resources are available in English and Spanish.

How to use this resource in my county.
Are community members looking for training? View the ABN statewide event calendar.

Community Flyer - English

Community Flyer - Spanish

Want to plan a workshop, training, or outreach event for small business owners or entrepreneurs? Contract Brandon L. Mathews or Kam Gomez.

Do you have businesses or entrepreneurs seeking 1:1 consulting or assistance? Have them sign up to become a client.

 

 

 

 

 

Strategic Planning/Facilitation for Organizations, Nonprofits, Boards & Other Groups
Tool: Rural Profile of Arkansas
CREATE BRIDGES
Workforce Development