Saline County Career Technical Campus (Benton, AR), February 28, 2025
Arkansas is taking bold steps to bridge the gap between job seekers and employers with Arkansas LAUNCH: an innovative, skills-based platform that connects Arkansans to career opportunities, training programs, and workforce development resources. The Arkansas LAUNCH announcement event with Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Arkansas’ Chief Workforce Officer, Mike Rogers and leaders was held at Saline County Career Technical Campus on Feb 25, 2025, marking a major milestone for this strategic workforce development initiative.
What is Arkansas LAUNCH?
LAUNCH is an all-in-one career development platform designed to help job seekers explore career paths, match their skills to available jobs, and access training programs and scholarships. Since its initial launch, the platform has already connected over 11,000 users to nearly 35,000 job postings, with over 600 employers actively participating. Now, with CiviForm integration, users can seamlessly apply for multiple government services, making career transitions smoother than ever before.
Edge Factor’s Role in LAUNCH
Edge Factor has been creating career media in Arkansas for a few years now, and in the past year we’ve had the privilege of working alongside the Governor’s office and Chief Workforce Officer Mike Rogers to produce high-impact storytelling that showcases companies and career pathways in the state. While this initial Arkansas LAUNCH platform serves job seekers and employers, an upcoming student-focused version will feature Edge Factor’s media through Career Cards, designed to inspire and guide the next generation of Arkansas’ workforce.
The Edge Factor team had the amazing opportunity to go behind closed doors to film stories of professionals sharing what a "day in the life" looks like in diverse careers while highlighting typical responsibilities, tools, and skills used on the job. Over the years we have filmed Career Profile videos, Soft Skills on the Job, and Geek Out Competencies videos with Arc Best, Baptist Health, Greenway/Ag Power Systems Technology, SunCrop, Powers of Arkansas, Weaver-Bailey Contractors, and Ben E. Kieth Foods just to name a few.
Edge Factor’s President and Founder, Jeremy Bout, and Learning Experience Creative, Eli Nichols, attended the event. Both had the opportunity to experience the platform firsthand, with Governor Sanders and Jeremy Bout personally testing the site during the event.
“After working behind the scenes on the media creation side of LAUNCH, it is really exciting to see it all come together! Mike Rogers and Governor Sanders’ faith, values, and passion for the state of Arkansas have led to something that will help so many people find purpose in their life,” said Eli Nichols, Learning Experience Creative at Edge Factor based in Little Rock, Arkansas.
A Vision for the Future
Arkansas LAUNCH represents more than just a job board—it’s a statewide movement to empower individuals with in-demand skills and connect them to meaningful career opportunities. Chief Workforce Officer Mike Rogers, the driving force behind LAUNCH, envisions a skills-first approach that will strengthen the Arkansas workforce and support economic growth.
“LAUNCH unlocks visibility of employment for job seekers. Its design is based on skills matching to careers. Anyone looking for the right-sized occupation and training to increase capability can find it on LAUNCH,” commented Mike Rogers, Arkansas Chief Workforce Officer.
As Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders emphasized during the event, Arkansas is committed to workforce development, stating, “Arkansas LAUNCH will connect employers and job seekers, helping grow our workforce and empower Arkansans to get off the sidelines and into the job market. This free platform will not only help connect people to existing jobs they qualify for but also show them pathways to up-skill so they can keep moving up the ladder.”
With support from companies like Walmart, Google.org, and RIPL, Arkansas LAUNCH is positioned to revolutionize workforce development and provide real solutions for employers facing talent shortages.
"Companies and workforce leaders are concerned about the skills shortage and the need to fill in-demand careers - and we're counting the cost. Instead of focusing on what it takes to build the future workforce, we should be asking: what is the cost if we don’t get involved in workforce development? Under Governor Huckabee’s leadership, Arkansas is making strategic investments to bridge this gap and build a strong workforce for the future," said Jeremy Bout, President and Founder of Edge Factor.
How You Can Get Involved
The Arkansas LAUNCH initiative aligns with Edge Factor’s mission to equip educators and inspire students and job seekers to explore, prepare, and connect on their career journey. Just as LAUNCH connects individuals to real-world career opportunities, Edge Factor empowers students and job seekers with story-driven, age-appropriate content, interactive activities, and digital badges to move forward on their career pathway. With over 5,000 tools available in 21 languages, Edge Factor impacts millions of K-12+ students and educators across the U.S. to explore industries and careers, prepare for their future with technical and soft skills, and connect to local opportunities. Arkansas’ investment in bridging workforce gaps and developing talent reflects the same vision Edge Factor champions: ensuring students and job seekers have the inspiration, knowledge, and tools they need to succeed.
As we continue to expand Edge Factor’s role in Arkansas workforce development, we want to highlight real career stories from Arkansas businesses and professionals. If you’re an employer or educator looking to make an impact, we invite you to:
🔹 Nominate a Story for Edge Factor to Film: Have a story that inspires? Help us showcase careers that are shaping Arkansas’ future. Submit a Story!
🔹 Promote your organization to students, job-seekers, teachers & parents inside the Edge Factor platform!
📣 Add a bio, website, logo, and if possible, a video for your Organization page for FREE. Add Your Organization.
The Arkansas workforce is evolving, and Edge Factor is proud to be part of the journey—working alongside state leaders, educators, and employers to equip and inspire the next generation.
Learn more about Edge Factor
If you are interested in learning more about what an Edge Factor membership can unlock, create your free account or book a demo.
Get Connected. Stay Connected.
Sign up for the Edge Factor Newsletter and follow us on social media to receive the latest updates on features, events, and initiatives that will help you build the future workforce.
Questions? Feedback? Contact us.
Email: info@edgefactor.com or message us on the Live Chat. We’d love to hear from you.
