Across America, skilled labor is in high demand, and the fact that a quarter of rural businesses report finding local talent as their top hiring challenge points to immense opportunity for students in rural areas who are ready to enter the workforce. Yet many rural high schools lack the resources to offer each student structured guidance as they weigh their options after graduation. In a state like Arkansas, where nearly half the population lives in rural communities, that gap touches a substantial share of students at a pivotal moment. Whether young people are considering college, technical credentials or direct entry into the workforce, they often need dedicated support to bridge the divide between their ambition and a concrete plan to realize it.

To help address this need, Heartland Forward partnered with rootEd Alliance and the Arkansas Department of Education in 2024 to launch rootEd Arkansas. The initiative places full-time college and career advisors directly in rural high schools to provide every student with dedicated, one-on-one guidance for life after graduation. From exploring four-year degrees and technical credentials to directly entering the workforce or enlisting in the military, advisors help students map out clear, actionable steps with the ultimate goal of setting each graduating senior on a path to career success and economic mobility.

Now two years in, the rootEd Arkansas program continues to show how consistent, one-on-one advising can set rural students up for success and help build a strong talent pipeline across the state.

Stronger Plans, Greater Confidence

• 82% of rootEd Arkansas students are now planning to pursue further education or career training after high school compared to 50% before rootEd.
• Students’ self-reported confidence in knowing the steps needed to reach their post-graduation goals rose from 50% at the start of their senior year to 80% by the end.
• 73% of students say they would not have known about the post-graduation options available to them without their advisor.

Closing the Financial Aid Gap

• Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) completion among rootEd Arkansas students reached 71%, nearly 17 points above the statewide average of 54%.
• 99% of rootEd Arkansas students completed a financial plan with their advisor, giving families a clearer picture of what college or training will cost and how to navigate it.

Growing the Local Talent Pipeline

• rootEd Arkansas students earn an average of $9,500 more per year than they would have without the support of a rootEd advisor.
• 72% of non-college-bound students are pursuing high-growth industries, including health care, manufacturing and construction.
• 88% of rootEd students plan to remain in Arkansas after graduation, resulting in a strong in-state talent pipeline.
• For students pursuing career training, cosmetology, welding and mechanics remain the most commonly pursued pathways, reflecting demand for skilled trades across the state.

Bringing Career Pathways to Life at Demo Days

Part of the rootEd advisor role is exposing students to real-world learning opportunities such as career fairs, industry tours and job shadowing throughout the year. This year, Heartland Forward built on that work by hosting Demo Days in the towns of Harrison and Pottsville, Arkansas, where high school juniors and seniors gained hands-on experience and career insight into plumbing, electrical work, HVAC and welding. Local employer partners, including Kimbel Mechanical Systems, Villines Electric, Curtis Heating & Cooling, Robinette Metal Works, Northwest Technical Institute and Mooney Electrical Services walked students through the day-to-day realities of each skilled trade and the certifications and training required to build a career. Learn more about the day directly from students, employers and rootEd advisors in this Demo Days video.

“I learned something at every station. Getting hands-on experience gave me a whole new perspective on what these jobs actually look like and it was a great way to figure out if this is a career pathway I want to pursue.” – rootEd Arkansas Student

Students can’t choose a career they do not know about. Pairing learning experiences like Demo Days with the individualized advising of rootEd Arkansas gives students an even clearer picture of what’s possible for life after graduation. Additionally, it helps students understand the full range of career opportunities available in Arkansas, incentivizing young talent to stay local and helping grow businesses within their home state. 

Looking Ahead

For the 2026–27 academic year, rootEd Arkansas has expanded to 20 advisors across 24 rural schools, up from 10 schools in the program’s first year and 13 schools in the second year, reaching a total of 2,250 students statewide. “rootEd Arkansas is unlocking new opportunities for rural students to identify clear postsecondary pathways for successful careers,” said Arkansas Secretary of Education Jacob Oliva. “This program has demonstrated real outcomes, not just for students, but for schools, employers and the communities they call home.”

Beyond the impact on the lives of the individual students who will graduate with a clear plan, this expansion carries powerful economic ripple effects. Better understanding of postsecondary pathways lead directly to higher training completion rates, stronger wages and a steady supply of skilled labor for essential sectors like health care, manufacturing and skilled workforce opportunities. 

By exposing students to new career pathways and offering personalized advising throughout the year, rootEd Arkansas is helping secure the homegrown talent that keeps rural communities competitive and accelerating long-term economic growth.

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Learn More

To learn more about rootEd Arkansas and Heartland Forward’s Skilled Workforce Initiative, explore the resources below:

• Seeing the Work in Action: Promoting Careers in Skilled Workforce with Heartland Forward’s Demo Days—A Pulse recap of the Harrison and Pottsville Demo Days, with perspective from the students, employers and advisors who took part.
• Hearing from Students: rootEd Arkansas: Cheyenne’s Story—One Arkansas senior on how advising shaped her plan for life after high school.
• Celebrating the Outcomes: rootEd Arkansas: Charleston High School Decision Day—Students announcing their college, career and military commitments.