​​​In 1996, a group of Human Resource Managers from industries in Northwest Arkansas collectively asked, “How do you raise the skill level of our workforce?”

Business and Industry Training is a nonprofit organization that offers hands-on education and training based out of Springdale and Gentry in various industry careers to meet the needs of the growing workforce in Northwest Arkansas. They exist to fill the skills gap between our workforce and the businesses that require a specific set of training. They allow their industry partners to use their classrooms at no charge. Companies utilize them for professional development classes, First Aid Training, OSHA 10 & 30, Excel classes and much more.

A few of their partners include Nabholz, McKee Foods, Glad Manufacturing, Kawneer, Rockline Industries, Tyson Foods, and many other companies that are vital to the fabric of northwest Arkansas.

BIT lets students learn at their own pace and choose when they want to train, rather than a semester format. Their systems training equipment multimedia curriculum provides live computer feedback and constructive assessments in real time as students utilize short term, hands-on training on equipment such as electrical systems, pneumatics, hydraulics, mechanical drives and robotics. There is a quiz before and after each training session, and BIT has protocols in place to ensure that safety is always the top priority while students are learning.

The school also teaches students how to operate systems such as Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC), an industrial computer control system that continuously monitors the state of input devices and makes custom decisions to control the state of output devices. One example of this system would be the automatic sliding entry doors that are common in grocery stores and open or close when people walk in or out.

BIT is grateful to receive grants that allow them to continuously upgrade equipment to meet the needs of industry partners. They recently received a $145K grant from Benton County that will fund training scholarships for skilled labor opportunities. A grant from Arconic Foundation will go towards the purchase of a new process control trainer, which will enable students to learn vital skills regarding monitoring a process to maintain quality output. McKee Foods supports around $43K for trainers for the Gentry location and Glad has donated several pieces of equipment.

“Our organization is here for industry companies, individuals that may not have any industry experience and want to learn a new trade, or for individuals that have experience but want to further their learning,” said Julie McAllaster, BIT Director.

Testimonials:

"Business and Industry Training has been instrumental in training our staff in mechanical drives, pneumatics, PLCs and more for our organization," - Beaver Water District.

"Dayco is an automotive supplier to Ford, GM, Toyota, and Caterpillar just to name a few, and our partnership with BIT has been extremely beneficial to maintaining our manufacturing excellence," - Dayco

"In the past, Bekaert has struggled to recruit skilled electricians. Thanks to our partnership with BIT, it has improved our skill and confidence for our employees that they are getting the best training available to do their jobs," - Bekaert

"This partnership has been essential for Rogers Public Schools and the district's Launch Career Program. Our high school students have been introduced to training opportunities that have prepared them for jobs across a broad spectrum of industries," - Rogers Public Schools

INDUSTRIAL SHORT-TERM HANDS-ON TRAINING

• AC/DC Electrical Systems
• Motor Controls
• PLC's Allen Bradley
• Hydraulics
• Pneumatics
• Mechanical Drives
• CNC Machining
• ABB Robotics

SAFETY​ TRAINING

• ARC Flash NFPA 70E
• OSHA 10
• OSHA 30
• Confined Space
• CPR/First Aid
• Forklift Safety

COMPUTER CLASSES & SOFT SKILLS

• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft Powerpoint
• Microsoft Word
• Archiving and Records Management
• Budgets and Financial Reports
• Business Acumen
• Business Ethics
• Change Management
• Communication Strategies
• Delivering Constructive Criticism
• Emotional Intelligence
• Supervising Others
• Teamwork and Team Building