Cengage Learning, a US-based provider of teaching, learning and research solutions, has announced that it is working with NorthWest Arkansas Community College (NWACC) to develop a series of workforce development courses for professionals in the Bentonville, Arkansas area.
The courses being developed are a part of the $2.15 million ‘Acceleration, Resources, Knowledge’ (ARK) Grant, which was awarded to the region based on a proposal that was submitted to the Obama Administration’s Innovation Accelerator Challenge. The challenge, which was launched last May to support the advancement of 20 high-growth regional industry clusters, awarded grants to the regions who outlined superior proposed projects and best identified the economic strengths of their areas. As one of the winning regions, the ARK Grant will provide innovation, training and professional development to companies and professionals residing in Northwestern Arkansas, Eastern Oklahoma and Southern Missouri.
The grant allows for the creation of courses that will benefit both the local community and its workforce. In-person and online classes will be hosted by NWACC to train professionals on new technologies, software and other topics of interest to today’s workers. Among those to be offered, the first courses to be rolled out from this new partnership include Mobile Applications Programming and Microsoft Office.
