Sen. John Boozman and members of his staff visited the University of Arkansas Community College at Morrilton on Aug. 14 to tour the Workforce Training Center. 

Welcomed by UACCM Interim Chancellor Diana Arn and administrators, he explored labs for the use of several programs: auto service technology; air conditioning, heating, and refrigeration; industrial mechanics and maintenance; and welding. 

Boozman played a role in developing the college’s newest building for technical and career education. In 2014, he wrote a letter in support to the Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration, which awarded a $1.1 million grant for the building’s site preparation.  

As the group went through the labs, Arn and Dean of Technical Studies Robert Keeton would point out the need of the programs and noted how students always worked on up-to-date equipment. The senator continued to remark about how impressive the facility was and the importance of that education. 

The tour emphasized the college’s efforts to forge partnerships with industries, which give students opportunities to earn more national certifications and meet the demands of the current workforce. The group also discussed the facility’s use of enhancing workforce development, as businesses conduct training in the building. 

At one point of the tour, he stopped to watch a session in the Tyson Hall filled with employees of Community Service, Inc.

“It was great to see how the University of Arkansas Community College at Morrilton is developing its local workforce and helping meet the demand of regional manufacturers and industry. The education and training available at its state-of-the-art Workforce Training Center provide students with occupational skills that prepare them for a successful future with opportunities of well-paying jobs,” Boozman said.

During his tour, he observed ongoing classes with instructors, experts in their respective fields, teaching trade methods and presenting on the use of certain equipment. The senator met faculty, including Brian Lum, an industrial mechanics instructor, who showed the senator a lab he uses for his classes. He also went over the importance of his field in a variety of industrial and manufacturing settings.