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Upskill NWA tells Washington County committee it has graduated 89 local healthcare workers, reports strong placement and income gains
Summary
Carol Silva Morales, director of Upskill NWA, presented program metrics to the County Services Committee: an 88% college graduation rate for participants, 90% job placement within 90 days of graduation, and an average participant income increase of about $32,700 per year.
Upskill NWA, a sector-based workforce development program that serves Northwest Arkansas, reported results to the Washington County County Services Committee, saying its graduates are entering regional healthcare jobs and producing measurable economic impact.
Carol Silva Morales, Upskill NWA’s director, told the committee the program launched in January 2022 and has graduated more than 100 participants regionally, 89 of whom are working in Northwest Arkansas hospitals. Morales described the program’s structure — tuition, books, fees paid in full, career navigators assigned to each participant for the duration of study — and cited the program’s stated results.
Key metrics Morales shared with the committee included an 88% graduation/retention rate, 88% placement overall for graduates and 90% placed within 90 days of program completion. She said participants’ average income rose by roughly $32,700 from program entry to graduation, and that the present cohort’s graduates represent an estimated 5‑year economic impact of about $14.2 million to the region.
Morales also described Upskill NWA’s partners: employers who identify high‑demand occupations, academic partners that deliver training (for example, NWAC and Northwest Technical Institute), and community organizations that refer and support participants. She said the program covers tuition and supports career navigation for certificate and degree pathways, and that new offerings — including a med lab tech program at NWAC — will expand placements.
Why it matters: County leaders noted the program’s role in supplying hospitals and clinics with skilled staff and cited local ARPA investments made by cities and counties as seed funding that helped Upskill NWA start. Committee members asked for the presentation file and for invitations to graduations and orientations; Morales said she would provide materials and follow-up one-on‑one briefings for committee members.
Ending: Committee members responded positively; Judge Deakins and several Justices thanked Upskill NWA for what they described as a “life‑changing” program for participants and a pipeline of workers for the region’s healthcare employers.
