Area Employers Discuss Skill Needs with Teachers

In the economic hub of southeast Arkansas, the most important skills on demand are soft skills.

Kris Kline, vice president of Strong Manufacturing; Jeff Vanderpool, manufacturing and operations executive vice president at Graphyte; and Garrett Lee, components plant vice president at Central Moloney, gave Arkansas Delta and southeast Arkansas educators insights into their human capital needs during the Economic Development Alliance for Jefferson County's fourth annual Connecting Educators to Industry seminar at the Main Library on Wednesday.

Economics Arkansas, a nonprofit educational organization, hosted the event.

"A diploma or certificate proves there is some dedication to earning something, but the proof is in the pudding -- when they show up and have that desire to work and they come to work every day, that's where they advance," Vanderpool said. "I've seen people with advanced college degrees that never get off a forklift, and I've seen people with a high school diploma end up being a shift manager or production manager. Certificates are good, kind of an early-stage indication of what someone is willing to dedicate to achieve something, but it's not the end-all. A willingness to work, ability to learn and desire to learn (are necessary as well). If they're always trying to make themselves better, they are going to succeed."

Companies like Graphyte -- the second-year carbon-removal company listed among Fast Company magazine's "World's Most Innovative Companies of 2025" -- are always looking for skill sets key to its success, Vanderpool assured, while seeking to eliminate the need for automation skill sets.

Read the full article in the Pine Bluff Commercial here.