Leveraging Community Support to Create Career Pathways

Gary Udouj, Ed.D., Director of Career Education and District Innovation, Fort Smith Public Schools

Gary Udouj, Ed.D., Director of Career Education and District Innovation, Fort Smith Public Schools

A 2017 regional study identified the need for more and better training for mid-level skill credentials in Western Arkansas. The study showed some disturbing trends: an aging workforce, rapid technological changes, and a disconnect between educational curriculum and business skill expectations. Voters answered in 2018 with a mileage increase that set aside funding for a new career and technical center, and a building donation sparked momentum as local corporations, state and federal agencies, and national foundations stepped up to help support the effort. The result was the creation of the Peak Innovation Center.

Phase one of the 180,000-square-foot Center was completed in the spring of 2022 and is the result of an ongoing community partnership between K-12, Higher Education, the Regional Chamber of Commerce, business and industry leaders, and the voters of Fort Smith, Arkansas. Peak is owned and operated by the Fort Smith Public Schools, and primarily houses technical programs taught by the University of Arkansas - Fort Smith (UAFS), available to students from 22 regional school districts representing over 43,000 total students.

At Peak, 11th-12th grade students from these districts have the opportunity to earn technical concurrent credit and industry-recognized certifications, providing students with sought-after skills and work-based learning opportunities. In off-hours and during the summer months, the Peak Innovation Center will be leveraged for adult/ incumbent worker training and skills upgrades, industrial training, and other community uses. Peak utilizes a diverse and modern approach to instruction, bringing technical training in the needed areas of advanced manufacturing, healthcare, technology, visual arts, and skilled trades under one roof. Here, career-bound students develop real-world skills and earn industry-specific certifications to create a future workforce that will drive success across the industry and beyond.

“Peak utilizes a diverse and modern approach to instruction, bringing technical training in the needed areas of advanced manufacturing, healthcare, technology, visual arts, and skilled trades under one roof.”

But if you build it, who will come? A district CTE Curriculum task force has been working with regional industry experts to develop foundational level technical classes in 9^th and 10^th grades and has created middle school career awareness, exploration, and connections classes for grades 6-8, resulting in a pipeline of students who recognize their interests and aptitudes. Our district Career Development Facilitators work with parents, counselors, teachers, and students to dispel myths about technical careers and expose students to the opportunities available to them. Students use direct teacher instruction, online tools, and hands-on labs to explore careers and training, and by the end of 8^th grade have developed a student success plan for high school and beyond.

Peak has become a regional event center as well, hosting regional and state student competitions, career expos, Chamber of Commerce events, corporate events, and state and national conferences. In addition to students and events, Peak is already becoming one of the first stops for prospective companies and site selectors interested in Western Arkansas for potential economic development projects. The economic impact of Peak on this region is significant and will only continue to grow.

The Peak Innovation Center is dedicated to providing all students with innovative, career-specific learning experiences through partnerships with higher education, K-12, and business and industry leaders, equipping students with relevant skills for future success in their chosen profession.