On Oct. 9 Springdale School District hosted an Industry Day at the Don Tyson School of Innovation and Venture Career Center that district CTE leaders said drew more than 1,000 students from more than 11 regional school districts and featured 34 or more industry partners.

Mr. Donnell and Mr. Ellis (career and technical education leaders) told the board the event is in its fifth year and has grown each year; organizers said the hands‑on booths and demonstrations aim to show middle and high school students real‑world technical skills and post‑secondary opportunities in manufacturing, construction, CDL, automation and other trades.

A highlight included an automation demonstration run by a senior, Judah, who described the program’s trainer as a small distribution‑center simulator controlled by a programmable logic controller (PLC), a variable‑frequency drive and an HMI display. District instructors said a production manager from Tyson Foods told staff Judah was already speaking at the level of Tyson’s automation technicians; district partners described this as evidence of the program’s fidelity to current industry standards.

District staff further updated the board on the Industrial Arts Annex (the renovated former Lock Supply building). The annex now hosts roughly 200 students per day in concentrated mechanical, electrical and plumbing training and is configured as a hub‑and‑spoke model that transports students into a central facility for rigorous instruction. District leaders said instructors are layering concurrent credit, youth apprenticeships and industry‑recognized credentials into pathways and have attracted partnerships with local firms.

Officials said they have received equipment and materials commitments that they valued at roughly $15,000–$20,000 in‑kind to date and about 10–12 confirmed financial commitments, with additional post‑secondary conversations underway with Arkansas Tech and others. Named industry partners cited on‑record at the meeting included NWA Steel, Middleton Plumbing, Keytronix and Tyson Foods; district staff said partners are donating used equipment, materials and guest‑instructor time to give students exposure to real tools and codes used in licensed trades.

Board members and career education staff framed the annex and the Venture Career Center as both workforce development and a student recruitment advantage for the district. Staff said several employers who attended told them they were unaware of the district training until visiting Industry Day and that some partners subsequently signaled interest in hiring program graduates.

Ending: District staff said a grand opening for the Industrial Arts Annex is planned in November and that they will continue to formalize partnership agreements, concurrent credit transfers, and apprenticeship pathways.