Arkansas State's $17 Million CREST Trades Training Center Takes Shape in Jonesboro

JONESBORO, Ark. — Construction is underway on a $17 million workforce training center at Arkansas State University designed to supply skilled workers to Northeast Arkansas's manufacturers, food processors and steel producers.

The Career Readiness Education and Skills Training (CREST) Center is a joint effort of Arkansas State, ASU-Newport and Arkansas Northeastern College in Blytheville. Phase one, a 26,000-square-foot building, began construction in spring 2026 and is expected to be finished in spring 2027, with classes starting that fall. The university announced a construction celebration for Oct. 16.

What's being built

The phase one building sits at 201 Longhorn Drive in Jonesboro. It will include:

• A high-bay manufacturing lab
• Classrooms and a computer lab
• Collaborative meeting and community space
• Offices and student study areas

Fennell Purifoy Architects and Dale Wells Architects designed the building. The university has not named the general contractor.

The full CREST campus is planned to reach about 70,000 square feet across three phases, according to the Arkansas State University System.

What it will teach

CREST is built around "stackable" credentials, short certificates that workers can build on over time, with credits that can transfer toward a four-year Arkansas State degree. The center focuses on AI-enhanced advanced manufacturing, food processing and steel production.

Some CREST classes are already running at the Workforce Training Center in Jonesboro's industrial park and on campus. The program also offers support services such as career mentoring, child care and transportation help, according to the ASU System.

Dr. Robin Myers, the CREST project lead and former chancellor of ASU-Mountain Home, described the phase one building as a multipurpose training center with labs for advanced manufacturing, automation and industrial technology.

Who's paying

The largest single source of money is a $7.5 million grant from the Arkansas Department of Commerce's Higher Industry Readiness through Educational Development (HIRED) program. Craighead County, Jonesboro Unlimited, the Workforce Training Consortium and Hytrol Conveyor Co. have also committed funding. Amounts for most of those partners were not released.

Hytrol's role

Jonesboro-based Hytrol, a conveyor manufacturer with more than six decades in the region, is CREST's founding industry partner. In August, the company gave $500,000, and the center's main training space will be named the Hytrol Workforce Training Room.

Philip Poston, Hytrol's chief administrative officer, said the company has grown alongside Jonesboro and Northeast Arkansas, and that investing in people is one of its most important commitments. Arkansas State Chancellor Calvin White Jr. said CREST was never meant to be something the university could build alone.

The workforce need

CREST's backers say the region needs more trained workers to keep up with its fastest-growing industries. White said the center will give current and future workers skills that match what Northeast Arkansas employers need.

Andrea Allen, director of A-State's Delta Center for Economic Development, said CREST will help address the region's shortage of trained workers by connecting people with high-demand careers.

Mark Young, president and CEO of the Jonesboro Regional Chamber of Commerce, said the idea grew out of a vision the Workforce Training Consortium began more than 30 years ago. He called the project "the greatest opportunity we've had in workforce development in my entire career."

ASU System President Todd Shields said the investment goes beyond the building itself, aiming to give Arkansans the skills employers want.

Timeline