The Arkansas Department of Career Education (ACE) has the mission of providing leadership and contributing resources to serve the diverse and changing career educational needs of Arkansas youth, adults, and persons living with disabilities.
As part of the mission, ACE oversees career and technical education programs in the secondary schools, secondary area career centers, adult and youth apprenticeship programs, two postsecondary technical institutes and the vocational technical school within the Department of Correction, Arkansas Rehabilitation Services , and adult education programs. ACE also works with the Veterans Administration to approve state educational programs for veterans’ benefits.
ACE is comprised of three divisions as well as administrative support services. The three divisions are Adult Education, Career and Technical Education, and Arkansas RehabilitationServices. These divisions provide a comprehensive system of educational programs and services to accomplish the following:
to provide both youth and adults the necessary academic and technical skills for entry-level jobs
to offer Arkansans of all ages the options to pursue a wide range of career choices
to ensure that workers have the foundation for lifelong learning that will allow them to enhance their existing skills and also to learn new skills in response to the current and future demands of a rapidly changing workplace
to assist individuals with disabilities in becoming productive citizens and workers
to supply employers with validation of skills through national certifications and licenses