South Arkansas’ lithium industry is investing in workforce training while state officials pitch the region to investors worldwide, according to two new reports from Arkansas Business and Arkansas Money & Politics.
In Arkansas Business, energy reporter Kyle Massey profiles the workforce pipeline taking shape around the state’s lithium industry, following Angela Meadows, a former school custodian who doubled her pay after a four-month training course at South Arkansas College’s Catalyst Program landed her a job with Standard Lithium in El Dorado.
Arkansas Gov. Sarah Sanders highlighted Meadows’ story at July’s State of Lithium summit in Texarkana.
The programs — including Southern Arkansas University’s LithiumLearns — are funded in part by ExxonMobil, Chevron, Smackover Lithium and Albemarle.
What Happened in Vegas
In Arkansas Money & Politics, Arkansas Commerce Secretary Hugh McDonald recaps his trip to the Fastmarkets Global Lithium, Battery & Critical Minerals Conference in Las Vegas.
McDonald told reporter Mark Carter that state analysis shows Arkansas “can be competitive on the production-cost curve given the state’s relatively low costs of doing business and low costs of energy.”
McDonald also cautioned that federal 45X production-cost tax credits and U.S. tariff policy on China remain essential to Arkansas’ ability to compete long term.
More: Read the full reports at Arkansas Business and Arkansas Money & Politics.
Previously: Arkansas DLE Leaders Head to Fastmarkets Global Lithium Conference
