Did You Know?
Hernando De Soto passed through what is today Saline County in 1541.
Employee Pre-screening and Hiring Assistance
Visit Arkansas Department of Economic Development
The Business and Industry Training Program (BITP) is a nationally recognized program for new and expanding companies.
Business and Industry Training program project managers work with the Department's Community and Business Development team when negotiating with new and expanding companies. The project managers then work closely with the company throughout the training project, meeting with the local educational institution and the company coordinator to find the best trainers for the company's needs.
Eligible Businesses include:
- Manufacturing firms
- National, corporate or regional headquarters
- Distribution centers
- Knowledge-based companies
The Business and Industry Training Program has thee emphases: recruiting workers, pre-employment training, and on-the-job training.
Recruiting Workers
The BITP provides financial assistance to recruit the workforce required for new and expanding businesses and industries in Arkansas. Workers are usually recruited through newspaper ads, but other forms of recruitment may be used. The company-specific recruitment can include working with the local Employment Security Department (ESD) office, locating a site to receive applications and providing temporary help for receiving applications.
Pre-employment Training
For more than 30 years ADED has operated a successful pre-employment training program for new and expanding companies, customizing the number of hours and content of the training to fit the specific needs of each company. Pre-employment training is a plus for both the company and the trainees. It gives the trainees an opportunity to look at the company and the job, and the company an opportunity to view trainees before they are hired.
On-the-Job Training
Following pre-employment training, if the company hires the trainee, ADED helps pay the instructional costs to train the new employee. Hours of instruction and the number of instructors depend on the types of jobs that require on-the-job training.
The Existing Workforce Training Program (EWTP) provides financial assistance to Arkansas' businesses and eligible consortia of businesses for upgrading the skills of the existing workforce. Skills upgrade training is defined as instruction conducted in a classroom environment at a work site, an educational institution or a neutral location that provides an existing, full-time employee with the new skills necessary to enhance productivity, improve performance and/or retain employment.