The Delta Regional Authority (DRA) recently awarded $300,000 to Black River Technical College (BRTC) through the Delta Workforce Grant Program (DWP). BRTC’s grant was 1 of 3 Arkansas awards, part of a $7,000,000 investment by the DRA to help boost "workforce development projects supporting economic development and prosperity" across the 8-state DRA region.
According to the DRA, this program is “an initiative designed to build long-term community capacity and to increase economic competitiveness by investing in projects that support workforce training and education programs.” BRTC is one of 3 institutions in Arkansas that received the grant, and one of 25 institutions in the DRA’s service area to receive the grant.
“BRTC continually strives to make sure the workforce training we provide is reflective of best practices and meets the needs of industry,” said Dr. Brad Baine, Vice President of Academic Affairs. “By receiving this funding, BRTC will be able to implement and offer cutting edge training in the areas of welding, robotics, and automation. As the needs of workforce and industry evolve, BRTC is grateful to receive local, state, and federal support for these high demand careers.”
BRTC will use the grant to renovate an existing space and buy equipment for a collaborative robot welding lab. The lab will not only provide workforce training for community industries but will also provide specific training for BRTC’s neighbor, Tate Industries.
“With the recent establishment of Tate’s operations and its new partnership with BRTC, the timing of the DRA grant could not be more ideal,” said Phillip Dickson, Dean of Business and Technology. “This funding will enable BRTC to expand its welding technology program by incorporating advanced training in robotic and cobotic welding techniques.”
The BRTC and Tate partnership will include Tate’s robotic welding experts assist in the upskilling of BRTC’s welding faculty. BRTC’s instructors “will then deliver state-of-the-art training to students, preparing them for employment opportunities with Tate and other industry partners seeking to implement cutting-edge welding technologies within their operations,” continued Dickson.
BRTC expects renovations to take between 6 and 9 months, allowing BRTC to offer workforce training cobotic welding courses in a year. Credit courses will also be offered later next year after state approval processes have been satisfied.
For more information about BRTC’s welding program contact Phillip Dickson at phillipd@blackrivertech.edu or call (870) 248-4125.