Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson announced the launch of an enhanced version of the state’s online Ready For Life platform. The innovative and dynamic web-based portal uses artificial intelligence to provide every Arkansan with personalized career guidance to explore new career paths, gain in-demand skills, access wraparound supports, and find jobs.
“Ready For Life represents what can be achieved when state government and
our partners in the private sector harness the power of technology for the benefit
of Arkansas citizens. This platform is an example of how we can use technology to erase barriers to success for our citizens. Ready For Life gives everyone an opportunity to reach
their full potential, and lead productive, fulfilling and prosperous lives in
Arkansas.” – Governor Hutchinson
Governor Hutchinson first announced the Ready For Life initiative in 2021 as a way to bridge
the gap between job seekers and employers across Arkansas, and today the initiative launched a new platform in partnership with technology provider FutureFit AI to make it easier to navigate, begin a job training program, locate available work opportunities, and access state services and programs. The new platform incorporates learnings from the first year of the program and aims to provide every user access to economic opportunity through personalized recommendations of career and learning pathways based on their unique background and needs.
While government programs to address education and workforce issues are sometimes siloed across departments, Ready For Life uniquely brings together stakeholders from across state agencies to provide a more unified offering to Arkansans. State agencies involved in the Ready For Life initiative include the Arkansas Department of Education, Arkansas Department of Commerce, Arkansas Department of Human Services, and Arkansas Department of Corrections, in addition to public-private partnerships with workforce technology leaders such as FutureFit AI, LinkedIn Learning, and ToolingU-SME.
“This relaunch represents an amazing opportunity for Arkansas,” said Gina Windle, Chief
Operating Officer for the Arkansas Department of Education (ADE). “This platform is more than just a job listing site; it incorporates career pathway guidance powered by artificial intelligence for each and every user. This enables us to give all Arkansans a robust, dynamic, and personalized path to accessing training, learning and exploring job offerings,” explained Ms. Windle.
The Ready For Life platform will strengthen the state’s role as a national leader in workforce
innovation while streamlining coordination across state departments, ultimately leading to
improved outcomes for citizens, employers, and the overall Arkansas economy.
