2022 Newsletter Editions

CONSIDER THIS AN ACDS “halftime report,” except we’re not talking about football. Mid-September marks the halfway point of the U.S. Department of Labor’s 120-Day Cybersecurity Sprint, a national campaign to increase cybersecurity apprenticeships across the country. The Sprint was announced in late July and will culminate in November during National Apprenticeship Week. Our lead feature […]

A HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE TO THE TECH CAREER GALAXY Insights from WhyteSpyder’s new Director of Insights and Strategy Laura Weiderhaft THERE ARE MANY paths to success in the tech world, and I’m living proof of it. In 2012, after graduating from the University of Arkansas with a B.A. in Economics and International Relations, I didn’t feel

LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS – The Office of Skills Development (OSD), the Arkansas Center for Data Sciences (ACDS), and Forge Institute are hosting the Cybersecurity Apprenticeship Employer Accelerator on Wednesday, September 14th at 10AM to help Arkansas employers solve their challenge of hiring and retaining a talented cyber workforce. Registration for the virtual event is free.

HOMELESS IN ARKANSAS How technology helps take care of those who’re down on their luck Sarah Wilson Case Manager, Conway Ministry Center FOR THE PAST five years I’ve worked for a nonprofit in Conway. We serve families in crisis, many of them being unsheltered and kind of living on the fringes. What I find in

(And what to do instead) Clint Hankinson, Director of Marketing, ACDS AFTER SUBMITTING DOZENS of job applications, weaving your way through multiple applicant-tracking systems, and agonizing over too many rejection emails, you’ve landed an interview…with a real person…with one of your top organizations! Great job! But don’t drop your guard. The exciting work is just

Kris Adams, Director NWA Tech Summit, Greater Bentonville Area Chamber of Commerce FOR ANYBODY IN the tech world, the theme of the 9th annual Northwest Arkansas Technology Summit—“Fast Forward”—will certainly resonate. Staging this year’s Summit has also been an accelerated experience for its new director, Kris Adams, who just took the reins in March. We

IN THIS MONTH’S newsletter, you’ll read a heartfelt testimonial about how tech can make a huge difference in supporting business processes. You’ll also read an interview with the new director of the Northwest Arkansas Tech Summit, whose theme for this fall’s event is “Fast Forward”—referring to the blistering pace of change in technology these days,

The Arkansas Center for Data Sciences (ACDS) has contracted with ApprentiScope, a software company that helps organizations manage, deliver, and grow their Registered Apprenticeship programs. Since its launch in 2019 as a result of Governor Hutchinson’s Blue Ribbon Commission, ACDS has grown rapidly, helping over 70 employers engage nearly 400 apprentices. With the number of

OUR NEW LOOK The story behind the refined ACDS logo and tagline Clint Hankinson, Director of Marketing, ACDS SINCE THE FOUNDING of the Arkansas Center for Data Sciences (ACDS) in late 2018, our team has been very busy! We’ve introduced the state of Arkansas to the Registered Apprenticeship model of workforce development, helping more than

ACDS NAMED “APPRENTICESHIP AMBASSADOR” Bringing a national honor home to Arkansas THE ARKANSAS CENTER for Data Sciences (ACDS) has been designated an Apprenticeship Ambassador for the United States Department of Labor (USDOL) Office of Apprenticeship. “We welcome ACDS and your partnership to serve as a champion in promoting, expanding, and diversifying Registered Apprenticeship and your