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STATE PROFILE
Arkansas
Career Resource Network Grant

Program Goals and Emphasis

The primary focus of Arkansas’ Career Resource Network is to deliver the career information available such as O*Net skill sets, labor market information, and wage surveys in a format for people to easily use.
State Economic Profile

Economic and Environmental Profile

Major industries include agriculture (chickens, soybeans, rice, cotton), paper and wood products (including furniture), electronic equipment, and mining (aluminum and diamonds). Total employment is up and non-farm payroll jobs are up, with ten of the eleven major industry groups showing increases. Government is the largest employing sector, followed closely by manufacturing.

The unemployment rate in January 2005 was 4.3%, as compared to 4.9 in April 2005.
Key Economic Sectors

• Government
• Health Care & Social Assistance
• Leisure & Hospitality
• Manufacturing
• Professional & Business Services
• Retail Trade
State Career Resource Activities

Highlighted Activities

• Arkansas’ Top Ten Occupations by Educational Level is an annual CD with the top ten occupations by education level, with links to the top ten skills needed to perform each occupation and links to video clips and job descriptions. This CD was distributed to 450 teachers and counselors.

• Arkansas Career Watch Magazine is an annual publication containing profiles of Arkansas occupations, including job descriptions, average pay, growth rate, and educational and scholarship information.

• The Department of Workforce Services created a new Web site called Discover Arkansas, which culls together labor market information on the state.
 
Primary Activities and Trainings

Arkansas has conducted the following activities and trainings:
• Career Clusters
• Career Information Delivery Systems
• Facilitating Career Development
• Improved Career Decision-Making in a Changing World
• O*NET- Dictionary of Occupational Titles
• Real Game
• Supply Demand Matrix
• Workforces in Transition
Career Information Delivery Systems (CIDS)

CIDS are computer-based systems providing local, state, and national information about careers and employment opportunities. State sites for CIDS include:

Elementary Schools110
Middle Schools 325
High Schools 315
Community Colleges 60
4-Year Colleges/Universities 40
Other 100
 
Primary Resources

Arkansas has published the following resources:
• ACRN Parent Guides
• Career Tabloids
• Career Videos
• Career Watch Magazine’s Teacher Guide
• Discover Arkansas
• Federal Occupational Outlook Handbook
• Improved Career Decision-Making
• State Licensed Occupations Guide
• The Future Awaits
• Top Ten Occupations by Educational Level
Program Funding and Partnerships

YearAmount
2005$130,642
2004$132,480
2003$133,266
2002$139,290
2001$121,442
Cumulative$657,120
Other Funding Sources

The program receives additional funding from the following sources:
• One-Stop Centers
• U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration
Significant Program Partnerships

• Arkansas Workforce Education
• Arkansas Higher Education
• Arkansas Department of Education
Resource Allocation

Contact Information

State Contact

Project Director
Ron White
Arkansas Department of Workforce Services, Occupational Career Information
#2 Capitol Mall
Little Rock, AR 72201
Phone: (501) 682-3121
Fax: (501) 682-3186
e-mail: ron.white@arkansas.gov
Web Site: http://www.discover.arkansas.gov
CIDS: http://www.ioscar.org/ar/
State Administrative Location

Department of Workforce Services

Regional Contact Information

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