Arkansas Division of Workforce Services is vacating the building at 400 Edison Avenue in Benton, along with several other locations across the Arkansas.
Locals won’t have a building to go to for Arkansas Division of Workforce Services (ADWS). According to a recent announcement, they will come to you.
The State is restructuring Workforce Centers across Arkansas. In a statement from the Arkansas Department of Commerce, it says this change is to increase program flexibility and reach to more Arkansans.
The restructuring includes the transfer of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program of ADWS to the Department of Human Services (DHS), as required by law from the 2023 legislative session. This will result in the relocation of offices in Arkadelphia, Batesville, Benton, Blytheville, Camden, Helena, Magnolia, Mountain Home, and Rogers. The statement says “ADWS services will continue to be offered through mobile centers with the flexibility to reach citizens across the state.”
That also leaves open offices in Brinkley, Conway, Crossett, El Dorado, Fayetteville, Forrest City, Fort Smith, Harrison, Hope, Hot Springs, Jonesboro, Lake Village, Little Rock, Lonoke, Mena, Monticello, Morrilton, North Little Rock, Paragould, Pine Bluff, Russellville, Searcy, and West Memphis.
Workforce Centers provide workforce readiness training, job search, academic enrichment, and work experience to job seekers, linking them to employers through a statewide delivery system.
ADWS has created a job seeker database, enabling the division to contact unemployed Arkansans directly. The ADWS employees affected will receive offers for new employment from DHS at their current salary.
“The Arkansas Division of Workforce Services has worked hard to align our services with the needs of Arkansans,” said Secretary Hugh McDonald. “The Arkansas Department of Commerce is fully committed to providing services and resources throughout the state to meet the needs of all Arkansans.”
Visit Arkansas JobLink and set up your job-seeker account to create and post resumes, search for jobs and training opportunities, receive notifications when certain jobs are posted, and learn about upcoming hiring events.
ADWS Mobile Workforce Center (photo via ADWS website – https://dws.arkansas.gov/)
According to the ADWS webpage, there are nine Mobile Workforce Centers in Arkansas and they all have internet connectivity, computers, printers, and copiers. For different needs, these vehicles also have software called Jobs Application with Speech (JAWS), and they are all handicapped-accessible.
“Our primary goal is to continue to deliver services to Arkansans,” said Dr. Charisse Childers, Director of the Arkansas Division of Workforce Services. “The restructure of our service delivery model will allow us to better utilize our federal funding in the most efficient way possible. We are following the national trend of reducing brick and mortar locations to more efficiently deliver services through enhanced technology and the use of our eight mobile workforce centers.”
“We are excited to welcome these talented staff members from the Division of Workforce Services to our team at the Department of Human Services as we take on the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program,” said DHS Secretary Kristi Putnam. “These employees bring a wealth of experience and a true commitment to serving Arkansans, and I look forward to seeing them support our operations and help further our important mission.”