Black River Technical College and the Flower Shop Network create partnership

GREENE COUNTY, Ark- Black River Technical College just announce a new partnership with one local business.

The Flower Shop Network and BRTC are partnering together.

Giving students opportunities in web design, computer programming, and digital marketing.

While Flower Shop employees will teach classes for the college, becoming adjunct professors.

“They contacted Black River to see what we could do in partnership with that. We’ve got a one-year certificate in web design. One Mr. Steve Pellum and one Mrs. Jamie Adams are going to step up and actually teach some classes for us. And bring in their knowledge and skillset in the area and translate that into the classroom so we can work to develop these programs and hopefully get some trained individuals,” says Dean of the Business and Technical Education Phillip Dickson.

The Flower Shop Network, a floral distribution company, first reached out to BRTC last spring.

The hope is that the Flower Shop or other businesses in Paragould will hire the students.

With plans, the program will create a pipeline of qualified IT individuals in the county.

This will also help BRTC keep and retain adjunct professors to teach their web design classes.

Dickson says they hope this will expand their web design certification program.

While also attracting businesses to Paragould.

“We’re seeing more tech businesses come into Greene County. So hopefully, this will put on the ground floor to give people training to people in Greene County, Paragould to help give them those skills to meet these jobs as these industries try to come in. And I think it’ll help the city entice some of these industries to come in and if they see we have a field of trained people.”

Exact details about the program and coursework students will receive through the partnership have yet to be released.

The partnership will begin this fall.