Gov. Asa Hutchinson on Monday announced a partnership between the Little Rock Air Force Base and a central Arkansas high school to provide a first-of-its-kind cybersecurity training program.
The $377,812 Military Affairs Grant Program award will allow Jacksonville High School students to earn two cybersecurity certifications along with their diploma, according to a news release from the Arkansas Economic Development Commission.
Over four years, participating students will work with airmen cyber warriors as well as educators from Arkansas State University-Beebe and have opportunities for internships, the commission said.
"These graduates will be able to continue their education at several state colleges or universities, join the military as a cyber warrior or join the workforce as a trained cyber technician," the governor said in the release.
The partnership is part of Hutchinson's Military Affairs Initiative, which was announced in 2015. Its focus is to support the missions of the Arkansas' military installations and their economic effect on the state, the commission said.
Most of the money will be used to buy, install and certify hardware, and to build a cyber range, a system that simulates Internet traffic and allows students to identify and learn to defend against a cyberattack. The grant will also satisfy matching funds requirements from several sources to total about $800,000, according to officials.
"We appreciate the governor and AEDC for recognizing the importance of the air base to our area's economic development and how quality education supports those efforts," Jacksonville School Board President Daniel Gray said in the release.
A recent economic impact study of military installations in Arkansas revealed that military business interests account for $4.5 billion annually and employ 60,000 people, the commission said.
Read Tuesday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.