Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Careers highlighted in book for students
Chamber to distribute it at schools
FAYETTEVILLE — A book published by the Chamber of Commerce discusses career opportunities awaiting teens in Northwest Arkansas.
Steve Clark, the chamber’s president and chief executive officer, held a news conference Friday to introduce A Calling. The book features information on 26 employers and two institutions — Northwest Arkansas Community College and Northwest Technical Institute — providing job training.
“This talks about the kinds of jobs you can get and what are the skills you need to get these jobs. These are jobs that are here,” Clark said.
Many of those jobs can be had without a college degree.
The book will be distributed to every student in grades eight through 12 in the Fayetteville School District. Students in grades 10 through 12 in six other Washington County school districts also will receive the book. The chamber also is mailing copies to the parents and guardians of Fayetteville teens.
The book represents the chamber’s desire to foster a skilled workforce and encourage students to seek jobs in the area. Clark expects the chamber will publish a second edition in about two years.
A Calling is the chamber’s answer to a similar publication, Aim, produced two years ago by the Springdale Chamber of Commerce and distributed to high school students across the region. The Fayetteville chamber printed 10,000 copies of its book, Clark said.
Clark praised the superintendents of Washington County’s school districts for agreeing to distribute the book to students. Their cooperation is what got employers interested in helping sponsor the book, he said.
Lisa Hotsenpiller, the Fayetteville School District’s director of career and technical education, said the book highlights the kinds of jobs most kids don’t think about when they’re considering a career.
“Lots of times, kids think when they graduate from high school, they have to get further education and then go off to get a job,” Hotsenpiller said. “This book says you have all these jobs and opportunities right here in your backyard. So I think that awareness piece is key.”
Nabholz Construction is one of the businesses featured in the book. Nabholz lists craftspeople, project managers and superintendents as jobs a person could have within its company. The qualities Nabholz looks for in its employees include integrity, good work ethic, positive attitude and initiative, according to the book.
“A combination of hard skills and soft skills is what we’re looking for in people,” said Steve Clouten, president of Nabholz’s central region, one of several business representatives who attended Friday’s news conference. “But most importantly, honesty. Integrity is very, very important, as is a desire to learn.”
The challenge of finding enough good employees to meet the demand for construction work has increased over the past decade, he said. He believes workforce development is something all companies in the industry need to make a priority.
“We’re looking forward to hopefully getting some phone calls and interest from some young people out there who want to join our industry,” Clouten said. “If they have any questions, we’re there to help them better understand the careers that are part of the construction industry.”
“A combination of hard skills and soft skills is what we’re looking for in people. But most importantly, honesty. Integrity is very, very important, as is a desire to learn.” — Steve Clouten, president of Nabholz’s central region