Skills to Launch is a 10-week scholarship-based, hands-on program designed to provide technical skills and soft skills training to individuals 18 and older seeking a new career in one of several highly valued trades, such as Industrial Operations, Construction, Production Welding, HVAC, and Solar Panel Installation. We typically offer 3 cohorts each year.

Through the Skills to Launch program, three broad goals are addressed: 

Workforce Development: This program seeks to develop a workforce that touches on many industries, companies, and organizations found in almost every community by developing the skills that employees need to be prepared and competitive in today’s job market.

Career Path and Skills Training: Our program trains individuals not only on the technical skills of a task but also “soft, transferable skills” such as effective communication, resume building, goal setting, financial literacy, job readiness, team collaboration, and other skills necessary to be competitive in the 21st-century marketplace.

Community and Economic Development: The jobs that participants pursue and accept upon completion of the program have desirable living wages, with real opportunities for advancement and pay raises. In turn, these employees will find stability and growth and contribute to the local community in significant ways, thus creating a multiplier effect in North Little Rock and the surrounding communities where these participants work and live. 

Soft skills are interpersonal, communication, and social abilities that influence how a person interacts and collaborates with others. They are crucial for effective teamwork, problem-solving, and navigating social situations, especially in a professional environment. Unlike hard skills (technical or job-specific abilities), soft skills are transferable across different roles and industries. We believe that soft skills have a direct influence over a student's successful navigation of the employer application and interviewing process and are a key component to opening the door to employment.

The Skills to Launch program offers several course tracks focused on careers within essential trades. Different from traditional college coursework, this program provides a compressed educational experience consisting of both technical and soft skills needed to be successful in today’s job market.

The Skills to Launch program is a 10-week, highly focused program structured in an environment that combines collaborative classroom instruction and hands-on technical training. Students who successfully complete the program receive the skills and knowledge of industry standards for a specific trade. This, combined with the confidence and professionalism learned in the soft skills training, allows participants to launch themselves into a meaningful careers.

Skills to Launch actively seeks out participants who are not only motivated but also committed to the completion of the program. Our goal is to remove the financial barriers and provide access to the core training necessary in essential trades. Student seats are limited. Once students complete and submit their scholarship application:

• Applications are carefully reviewed by the program manager. 
• Interviews are scheduled for each applicant by the program manager.
• Interviews are completed.
• Applicants are notified of acceptance, waitlist, or denial.
• An official acceptance email notification is sent and includes information for OSHA-10 training, orientation, and student conduct expectations.

We are honored to have partnerships with and to have matched students with a wide array of employers and community partners. Thank you to each and every one of them!

AFCO Steel
Airco
Airmasters
All Steel Construction
All Weather Insulated Panels
Almatis
Anthony Timberlands
Apptegy
Baptist Health
Barnhart Heat & Air
Brown's Dump Bodies
Cache River Mill & MetalWorks
Cantrell Service Center
Caterpillar
Chapman Heating & Air
C & F Steel
De Wafelbakkers
Dewee’s
Diamond Pools
Doyne Construction
Elopak
Ensono
Global Manufacturing
Great Dane Trailers

Greg Snow Construction
Halbert Pipe & Steel
Hall Tank
HilArk
Hillenburg Heat & Air
HMS Manufacturing
K & E Construction
Kirby Heat & Air
Lamb & Associates
LED Enterprises
Lewis & Co Construction
Lexicon
Love's Travel Stop
Luck Be a Lady Rentals & Repairs
M3 Services
MacroSource
Meyer Welding
Middleton Heat & Air
ORC Solutions
P. Allen Smith
PeopleShores
Pinkerton Custom Carpentry
Pinnacle Structures
Plastic Ingenuity

Pulaski Heights Methodist
Pumpfreeze Heat-N-Air, LLC
Rare Talents Contracting
Reliance Heating and Cooling
Remington
Resolute Forest Product
Rock Dental
Sage V Foods
Seal Solar
SIG Sauer
Southwest Heat & Air
Tarantino Properties
The Greens at the Rock
Top Notch Heating & Air
Tru-Fab
Tyson & Sons Remodeling
United Rentals
United States Post Office
US Army
US Vanadium
Westrock Coffee
XPO Logistics
XPress Boats
3M

COMMUNITY PARTNERS

Airgas
All Steel Construction
Baptist Health
Cache River Mill & MetalWorks
Chapman Heating & Air
Encore Bank
Global Manufacturing
Halbert Pipe & Steel
Middleton Heat & Air
Southern Bancorp
Top Notch Heating & Air
Tru-Fab

Anybody 18 and over is eligible to participate in the program.

No. Anyone 18 years of age or older is welcome to apply to the program regardless of level of school completion.

Click on the “Apply for scholarship” button which will direct you to the application form.

Upon completion of your application, we will reach out to schedule an interview with you. This interview serves as an opportunity for you to learn more about the program and for us to learn more about you – your story, your goals, and aspirations.

Participants should plan to commit to two days per week. Those days vary by track, depending on the scheduling availability of our instructional partners, classrooms, and equipment.

Yes. With a commitment of only two days per week, our participants can continue working part-time or full-time if they have some flexibility in choosing their work schedules.

The course-work within the program runs on a 10–week timeline. Participants should expect to spend time submitting resumes and applications to employers immediately after completion.

We offer a diverse range of tracks such as Industrial Operations/Machinery, Construction, Production Welding, HVAC, Solar Panel Installation, depending on community need at the time of each cohort start.

For the most up-to-date track offerings, please contact us.

No, participants can enroll in and complete one track of their choice within the Skills to Launch program. Our primary aim is to provide you with focused training on a specific track, setting you on a path toward a successful career. Therefore, we encourage you to carefully select the track that aligns with your career aspirations and goals, as you will have the opportunity to go through the program only once and graduate with the skills in your chosen track.

No, you do not get paid to go through the program. However, it is important to note that there are no program fees either. The Skills to Launch program is entirely free of charge, providing you with valuable training at no cost.

As a participant in the Skills to Launch program, you will have the opportunity to obtain valuable certifications specific to your track.

OSHA-10 Certification (for all participants except IT students): This certification is a fundamental requirement for workplace safety.

EPA Certification (for HVAC students): If you are enrolled in the HVAC track, you will have the chance to earn an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) certification. This certification is vital for HVAC professionals, as it demonstrates your competence in handling refrigerants safely and responsibly.

NABCEP PV Associate (for Solar students): Solar Panel track participants will have the opportunity to obtain the NABCEP PV Association certification. This certification benefits new installers, experienced workforce personnel, employers, and the public.

Yes. To successfully complete the program, it’s important to maintain consistent attendance. Our program has a policy that allows for a maximum of three class absences. If you exceed this limit and miss more than three classes, you will no longer be eligible to continue through the program. We encourage all participants to prioritize attendance to make the most of this valuable opportunity.