Reminder: August 3 Application Deadline for Create Bridges, a Regional Economic Development Pilot Focused on Rural Arkansas

by Julianne Dunn - August 1, 2018

Create Bridges, a two-year pilot program to help rural regions grow their economies through the retail, accommodations, tourism, and hospitality industries, is seeking participants. Regions must submit their completed application by the end of the day on August 3 to be considered.

Retail is an important sector that serves local needs as well as being an entry point to the workforce system for new workers. Retail businesses often find it difficult to keep workers for extended periods, which leaves them with a shortage of shift leaders, floor supervisors, and managers. Create Bridges will look at workforce solutions to keep workers and to be able to promote from within.

Download Application

Regions comprising of two to five counties that are predominantly rural can apply to participate in the two-year program. One selected region will have access to new or adapted workforce programs, financial incentives for employee and employer participation, and funding to support small seed projects.

To learn more about Create Bridges, visit www.uaex.uada.edu/createbridges. 

For more information about this project, please contact Julianne Dunn, Instructor-Economic Development at Cooperative Extension, at 501-671-2158, or email her at jbdunn@uada.edu.