HERE WE ARE approaching the end of another year. This is generally a time to be somewhat introspective, to take stock, to review the year’s results and assess what’s been good and note where improvements can be made. For some reason, this year I find myself pondering the difference between “certainty” and “uncertainty,” and the answer I come to is “about a second in time.” We only know what’s certain right now. The future is beyond us, and the past is a closed book. We need to live, act, and be thankful for the moment—every moment—that we’re living in.

Next week is Thanksgiving, a time to slow down and express our thanks for family, friends, colleagues, and partners. At ACDS, that amounts to a long list of special individuals who make up the employers, agencies, educators, trainers, and other non-profits that we consider our partners and friends. By the time the curtain comes down on 2023, more than 150 Arkansas employers will have hired or promoted in excess of 1,000 Arkansans using the Registered Apprenticeship
programs, and those employees will have elevated their career trajectories and positively impacted their families’ lives. At ACDS, we’re thankful that we can play a vital role in improving Arkansans’ futures, and our internal message is, “We have just begun.”

In closing, two quick messages: First, ACDS will soon be sending out a short survey to our client employers asking about their plans for 2024 and how ACDS can do even better to assist them in their successful operations. And second, if you would like to help us in our mission, please take note of our new private donation button on our website, www.apprenticely.org. Thanks to every one of you.

–Bill Yoder, Executive Director