Grants to boost trades in Arkansas
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Finance-focused organization BlackRock is giving $1 million to Bentonville-based nonprofit Heartland Forward and $850,000 to Goodwill Arkansas to support the trades.
Why it matters: The goal is to help people who want to pursue skilled labor and improve local economies as businesses need to hire tradespeople, Arielle Gurman, executive director of the BlackRock Future Builders initiative, told Axios.
- "We recognize there is such a need for the people who are going to build, maintain and power the very infrastructure that keeps our communities healthy and safe and competitive and growing," she said.
Zoom in: Goodwill's grant will support and expand the organization's efforts to train people in fields such as welding, fabrication, construction and HVAC. Over two years, the money will cover tuition for 220 people at Goodwill's training centers in Springdale and Little Rock, train more instructors and expand its HVAC program.
- "They're building pathways into the state's most in-demand skilled trades careers while reaching people who might otherwise be excluded from those opportunities," Gurman said.
The big picture: BlackRock wants to reach 50,000 people with $100 million nationally.
- Goodwill Arkansas is one of 15 organizations receiving money in a $25 million funding round, according to a news release. More than 1,000 organizations applied.
What's inside: Heartland Forward is headquartered in NWA but focuses on economic and quality-of-life improvement for the broader American heartland.
- The $1 million from BlackRock will support developing partnerships with employers and developing the next generation of talent, Gurman said. The money will pay for a director within Heartland Forward.
- Heartland Forward's Center for Investment Readiness will lead the community and employer work, and rootEd Alliance will lead the student-facing work, according to a news release.