Regional NewsFriday, November 13
The NWA Council says the region faces $6 billion in road needs and has more than 10,000 open jobs
The Daily Springdale team
If you drive Northwest Arkansas roads, Thursday's Northwest Arkansas Council annual meeting had a big number for you: the region faces $6 billion in road and transportation needs through 2050. Council President Nelson Peacock told the 180 members at The Record in Bentonville, "It's likely we're going to have to solve these problems on our own." Infrastructure needs, from transportation and wastewater capacity to workforce development and early-stage capital funding, topped the list for 55% of council membership.
The council's annual meeting put a price on the region's needs
- $6 billion
- in road and transportation needs through 2050
- 55%
- of council membership named infrastructure the top priority
- 180
- members at the annual meeting
The other big topic was jobs. A Gallup survey commissioned by the Walton Family Foundation and conducted in September and October found that only 13% of students say they know a lot about apprenticeships and 11% say the same about certification programs. Just 27% have access to internships through school, and Peacock said the region has more than 10,000 open jobs.
Few students know a lot about apprenticeships or have internship access
Source: khbs
View as table
| Value | |
|---|---|
| Know a lot: apprenticeships | 13% |
| Know a lot: certification programs | 11% |
| Have internship access | 27% |
- Employers expecting mostly Arkansas graduates: about 96%
- Employers interested in a school partnership: 83%
- Council's next step: map what each district teaches