Benton County JPs praise Upskill NWA for its local impact

BENTON COUNTY — A Northwest Arkansas organization is using state funding in a way that should be celebrated, county officials said during Thursday’s Benton County Quorum Court Committee of the Whole meeting.

Carol Silva Moralez, president and CEO of Upskill NWA, presented a summary of the program’s second year to the Benton County justices of the peace during the meeting.

Upskill NWA, a project of the Excellerate Foundation and the Walton Family Foundation, was granted about $2.9 million of its initial funding through the American Rescue Plan Act by Benton County in December 2021.

Upskill NWA works with employer, educator and human services partners in the area to connect nontraditional students who desire to work in the medical field to the resources required to make the desire a reality. Students are paired with human services partners to help guide them through the program as they are receiving education, according to the Excellerate Foundation.

Hannah Standifer, director of finance at Upskill NWA, said the organization has community partners as well that refer candidates to the program. She said certain companies that have certification programs will then refer those certified individuals to Upskill NWA.

The program launched in January 2022 and has since had 55 graduates, of whom 85% were hired by employer partners within 90 days of finishing the program, Moralez said.

Moralez said the vision was to “upskill them with a credential,” as program participants are able to study at local institutions that are Upskill NWA education partners, such as Northwest Arkansas Community College and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. There are many different jobs, certifications and degrees, for which the program provides education, such as nursing, respiratory therapy and radiology.

Moralez said the projected return on investment for the 69 active Benton County participants is 18-1, with an average gross salary potential of $48,819, according to studies done by Excellerate.

The average income pre-Upskill is $29,611, and average income post-Upskill is $62,593, based on employer partner job placements.

“You can’t underestimate people and what they will do,” Moralez said.

Justice of the Peace Susan Anglin said what Upskill NWA is doing is worthy of celebration.

The program has 156 active students and is recruiting to fill 120 spots for the next term, Moralez said.

Program participants do not pay. If an individual drops out, she will have to pay back the money the program had spent. Participants also sign an agreement saying they will work at the job they are placed at for at least two years after graduation, Moralez said.

Justice of the Peace Brian Armas said the county got a great deal when it invested in Upskill NWA.

Moralez said in the program’s future, it will be looking at the needs of the region as a whole, not only the medical field. She added she wants to expand to other regions in the state and pursue state funding.