The Northwest Arkansas Council and Apprenticely are partnering to connect emerging tech talent with the region’s startups through a hiring event on July 16 at the University of Arkansas Collaborative in Bentonville. The event, supported by StartupNWA, the Council’s entrepreneurship program, is open to the public with a networking breakfast before continuing with speed interviews between participating startups and preselected candidates.
The hiring event builds on the Northwest Arkansas Council’s longstanding partnership with Apprenticely, creating a direct pipeline between Arkansans launching careers in tech and the startups driving innovation across the region.
Northwest Arkansas has become one of the country’s most dynamic places to build a company. New startups are launching, investment continues to grow and more founders are choosing to build their companies here. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Northwest Arkansas metro added about 6,000 jobs in the year ending February 2026, accounting for roughly two-thirds of Arkansas’ total job growth. That momentum is increasing demand for tech talent and creating new career opportunities for Arkansans.
“Northwest Arkansas founders are building fast, at scale, and they hire for the qualities that actually move the work: curiosity, drive and the willingness to own an outcome. This program strengthens the talent pipeline that keeps our ecosystem growing and gives more Arkansans a direct path into the startup economy,” said Serafina Lalany, executive director of StartupNWA.
The partnership gives founders a direct, affordable way to grow their teams. At a fraction of typical entry-level hiring costs, a founder brings on a vetted candidate full time for 12 weeks, with Apprenticely backing the placement from start to finish. It is designed for people ready to build a tech career: recent graduates, career changers, self-taught builders and anyone reentering the workforce.
“At Apprenticely, we train Arkansans for real tech careers and support them on the job. This partnership puts that talent to work inside the state’s fastest-moving startups, and we handle the sourcing, screening and support so founders can say yes to a hire they might otherwise pass on,” said Nichole Parsons, work-based learning program manager at Apprenticely.
Startups with open roles include Align AI, HaveMore.Space, Huml Health, Collab Design Co., Umami and others, with positions across software development, AI operations, marketing, data analytics and design. The program is still actively recruiting both startups and candidates ahead of the hiring day.
The July 16 event at the UofA Collaborative in Bentonville begins with a networking breakfast from 9 to 10 a.m., open to anyone curious about startup careers, the roles available and how Apprenticely works. At 10 a.m., preselected candidates and startups begin speed interviews across software development, operations, marketing, business development and support. Founders and job seekers who want a seat at those interviews apply by July 10.
About the program
Through its Work-Based Learning program, Apprenticely subsidizes $10 an hour, up to 480 hours per placement. At $15 an hour, an employer pays $2,400 for a full-time, 12-week role. Each placement centers on real tech work, with a dedicated employer mentor and a structured roadmap of check-ins, a midpoint review and transition planning. Roles span software development, QA, data, IT support, design and more.
How to participate
Learn more about the hiring event and register here. The hiring event takes place from 9 to 11 a.m. at the University of Arkansas Collaborative, located at 700 SE 5th St #130, Bentonville.
To apply for open positions, candidates can review roles posted under the Work-Based Learning section and apply here by July 10.
Startups interested in joining the program should reach out to Nichole Parsons at nparsons@apprenticely.org.
