Oct. 4, 2023 (LITTLE ROCK, Ark.) — Be Pro Be Proud will host eight events throughout the state as part of its 2024 Draft Day Series, the organization announced today. Each Draft Day is a two-day event that strategically matches employers with qualified graduating students based on student interest and employer needs. This event is in its third year and is sponsored statewide by the Arkansas Department of Commerce and the Arkansas Office of Skills Development and supported statewide by the Arkansas Departments of Education and Higher Education, as well as the Arkansas Chapter of Future Farmers of America (FFA) Association. Students and employers who are interested in participating must register by Nov. 17, 2023.
“Since wrapping up our 2023 Series, we have worked to continue to improve the Draft Day experience. With tremendous private and public support in place, we are prepared to double last year’s efforts and raise the bar on facilitating high-value recruitment opportunities for employers and recruits across much of Arkansas,” said Andrew Parker, the Executive Director of Be Pro Be Proud. “At each event, our goal is to match 300 interested and talented high school seniors with 50 or more employers for 900 interviews over each two-day period. These events perfectly compliment the career awareness efforts we conduct through our Be Pro Mobile Workshop Tour, which has engaged nearly 200,000 Arkansas students since our 2016 launch. We’re proud to work alongside local chambers of commerce to build tomorrow’s workforce.”
Beginning October 4, 2023, students and employers can register to participate in the 2024 Draft Day series at beprobeproudar.org/draft-day-2024:Draft Day Arkansas Delta, presented by Central Maloney: March 12 – 13 in Pine Bluff, Ark.Draft Day Arkansas Grand Prairie, presented by Riceland Foods: April 3 – 4 in Stuttgart, Ark.Draft Day Arkansas River Valley West, presented by ABB Ltd.: March 5 – 6 in Fort Smith, Ark.Draft Day Golden Triangle: April 17 – 18 in El Dorado, Ark.Draft Day River Valley East, presented by ConAgra: April 25 – 26 in Russellville, Ark.Draft Day Central Arkansas: April 30 – May 1 in North Little Rock, Ark.Draft Day Northeast Arkansas, presented by Hytrol: March 27 – 28 in Jonesboro, Ark.Draft Day Northwest Arkansas, presented by the Northwest Arkansas Council: April 10 – 11 in Springdale, Ark.
“The Northwest Arkansas Council is proud to again support Draft Day Northwest Arkansas as the event’s Presenting Sponsor,” said Joe Rollins, Director of Workforce Development at the Northwest Arkansas Council. “The Mission of the NWA Council is to improve quality of life, infrastructure, education and economic opportunity across the region and this event synthesizes all aspects of these priorities.”
Draft Day’s regional approach offers participating companies across a broad geographic area and industry spectrum the opportunity to engage and interact with this future talent pipeline. Be Pro Be Proud also provides a career expo that is open to all high school grades. Additionally, participating companies will have firsthand opportunities to engage with a team from the Arkansas Office of Skills Development to learn about apprenticeship programs, resources and assistance available to further recruit, train and retain talent.
Be Pro Be Proud has coordinated with Arkansas’s Career Coaches, CTE Coordinators and Agriculture Educators across participating school districts to help facilitate student recruitment, registration and preparation for interviews and immediate career pursuits. High school seniors enrolled in concurrent courses, CTE and JAG programs, and/or FFA will be matched with employers based on their interests and needs and their aptitude assessments. Together, Be Pro Be Proud and its network of public and private partners are Building Tomorrow’s Workforce.
For more information on Be Pro Be Proud’s Draft Day events or to register your company, visit HERE.
About Be Pro Be Proud ArkansasBe Pro Be Proud Arkansas is a workforce development initiative led by the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce/Associated Industries of Arkansas (AIA) that connects students around the state to high-tech, high-paying technical careers. Through partnerships with state agencies, local industry, and higher education entities, Be Pro Be Proud is effectively working to replenish the professional workforce that has been experiencing a drastic decline. Be Pro Be Proud was launched in Arkansas in 2016 and has since licensed efforts in Georgia, New Mexico, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.