U.S Department of Labor Approves Arkansas’ Combined Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act and Perkins State Plan and Waiver Requests
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (September 3, 2026) – The U.S. Department of Labor has approved Arkansas’ Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) State Plan, supporting the state’s continued efforts to strengthen workforce development, expand career opportunities for Arkansans, and help employers meet their workforce needs.
The Combined WIOA-Perkins State Plan is the first combined plan in the state’s history, and it establishes Arkansas’ vision and strategies for delivering workforce services and coordinating programs that help individuals prepare for and succeed in the workforce. The plan brings together key workforce and education partners to create a more connected and effective workforce system.
“Arkansas taxpayers deserve a workforce system that spends its money on people, not paperwork,” said Governor Sanders. “By consolidating ten boards into one statewide system, we are moving millions of dollars out of overhead and into training and serving hundreds more Arkansans every year. This is what conservative government looks like: less paperwork; better results.”
The plan provides a framework for strengthening coordination among workforce partners and ensuring programs and services are aligned with the needs of Arkansas workers and employers. Through continued collaboration across the workforce system, Arkansas will work to improve access to training, employment services, and career opportunities while supporting businesses as they build and grow their workforce.
“The approval of our WIOA State Plan is a major turning point for Arkansas, enabling the state to modernize our workforce development efforts to better meet the needs of Arkansans and industry partners,” said Secretary of Commerce Hugh McDonald. “We are committed to delivering results to prepare Arkansans for the workforce and to help businesses thrive, and the new State Plan provides the framework that will guide us to future success.”
As part of the new plan, Arkansas will transition to a single statewide planning area, with the Arkansas Workforce Development Board carrying out the functions of local workforce development boards while Arkansas Workforce Connections carries out service delivery provisions through an integrated staffing model, creating a “No Wrong Door” service approach. This will modernize the state’s workforce system, reduce administrative and overhead costs, and remove unnecessary risk from local governments. Arkansas is expected to redirect approximately $6 million from duplicative operating and overhead expenses to direct services for Arkansans and employers.
“Arkansas is committed to building a workforce system that connects people to opportunity and gives employers access to the talent they need,” said Cody Waits, Executive Director of Arkansas Workforce Connections. “This plan strengthens our ability to work together across the state, respond to the needs of employers and communities, and help more Arkansans prepare for and succeed in meaningful careers.”
Arkansas Workforce Connections, a division of the Arkansas Department of Commerce, will work with workforce partners across the state to implement the approved plan and continue strengthening Arkansas’ workforce system with an anticipated implementation date of July 1, 2027. Workforce Connections will also work in partnership with employers and industry association partners to create and stand up business workforce councils across the state, ensuring that employers have a voice in the workforce system and that the state is delivering services and funding to the career pathways that benefit Arkansas businesses.
The approval represents another step in Arkansas’ efforts to build a workforce system that is more coordinated, flexible, and responsive to the needs of Arkansas employers, communities, and workers. Implementation of the plan will continue through collaboration with workforce, education, and partners across the state. You may read Arkansas’ draft WIOA Combined State Plan modification here.
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