NWACC, MIT PATH jointly aligned on LOI to explore workforce AI curriculum

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NWACC and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Pathways for AI Training and Hiring (PATH) initiative have shared a one-year letter of intent (LOI) to explore a collaboration aimed at developing AI curriculum for professional skills training for employers in Northwest Arkansas.

To kick off this pilot program, which will explore designing hands-on AI coursework focused on upskilling workers, NWACC is seeking interest from regional businesses looking to better prepare their workers for the age of AI.

The LOI was enacted by both NWACC President Dennis C. Rittle and MIT PATH Principal Investigator Cynthia Breazeal. Both institutions share a vision of increasing access to practical and responsible AI skills, and strengthening pathways between education, work and economic opportunity. 

“As the region’s leader in AI education and workforce development, it’s NWACC’s responsibility to continue looking for ways to best prepare the Northwest Arkansas workforce for the AI economy, both here at home and around the world,” Rittle said. “The PATH team from MIT are outstanding at helping learners – regardless of background – secure jobs in the growing AI economy.

“Together, we will look to develop hyper-local, industry specific AI training to solve actual workforce needs. We are deeply grateful for the trust in us from PATH and excited for the opportunities it brings the businesses and workforce of Northwest Arkansas.”

The exploratory LOI looks to pair NWACC's regional strengths and instructional delivery with PATH’s workforce research, national reach and AI educational expertise.

In July, representatives of NWACC and PATH jointly hosted Northwest Arkansas business leaders and stakeholders in Bentonville for workshops to identify priority AI-skill needs and guide the design of programs in the areas of retail, logistics, robotics and healthcare. 

If the initial implementation is successful, coursework – that can be tailored to a specific job or department – would be designed for select participating employers. Then an experimental learning component, or action lab, would be developed that connects the business' real operational challenges with NWACC and MIT programs, faculty and students. Finally, the feasibility of broader initiatives would be assessed.

“Success will be measured by whether the institutions can identify a significant workforce need and determine a credible, responsible, sustainable way to address it together,” according to the LOI.

Northwest Arkansas businesses interested in participating are asked to reach out to NWACC Executive Director of Workforce and Economic Development Chris Lynch at 479-986-6903 or c3lynch@nwacc.edu. 

To learn more about NWACC’s Workforce and Economic Development Division, go to nwacc.edu/workforce.