The new Alaska College & Career Guidance Report examines the programs and practices that can help students plan for life after high school. The report offers recommendations for those who are working as career advisors as well as educational leaders and policymakers.
The report urges investment in these vital programs to create a better future for its young adults and ensure a well-prepared workforce for the future job market.
Cohort of newly certified Yamaha Marine Maintenance instructors.
The Alaska Maritime Education Consortium (AMEC), in partnership with Yamaha, hosted a Yamaha Marine Maintenance Certification Program (MCP) Instructor training in Valdez, Alaska August 4-10, 2023. Yamaha provided two trainers to deliver the MCP certification to eleven instructors from the communities of Dillingham, Ketchikan, Soldotna, Juneau, Kodiak, Valdez, Kotzebue, Chevak, Kwigillingok, and Quinhagak. The instructors represented school districts, AMEC faculty, and representatives from the Coastal Villages Region Fund.
AMEC will work with these certified instructors to establish outboard motor maintenance and repair programs in their respective regions. Anthony Gerasch, Marine Service Technology Instructor at Prince William Sound College said, “This instructor training has made outboard training more accessible to Alaskans spanning the entire state. This initiative will help Alaskans earn a living, work in Yamaha dealerships, and fix machines for people in their communities. Our partnership with Yamaha has been a gift and I thank them for their contributions. This will make a huge impact.”
Ammonia refrigeration unit. Photo courtesy of Kris Norosz.
Although Alaska is located in the far—and often frigid—north, keeping its bountiful seafood the envy of the world requires refrigeration. While both ice and fish are abundant in Alaska, we have a lack of in-state training opportunities for refrigeration technician jobs. Alaska Sea Grant is working to support an effort by iWorkwise and the Alaska Research Consortium to meet this need. The new Professional Ammonia Refrigeration Operator Education for seafood processors (ProAROE) program offers Alaska’s seafood industry employees refrigeration training, while saving money for seafood processors by offering the training in state.
UAF Community and Technical College 2023 Summer Fire Academy graduates gather after their ceremony on Aug. 18, 2023. UAF photo by Leif Van Cise.
The University of Alaska Fairbanks Community and Technical College’s (UAF CTC) Summer Fire Academy offers students six weeks of rigorous, paramilitary-style fire science training. For up to 12 hours per day, five days a week, graduates gain eligibility for the Alaska Fire Fighter I certification — a credential recognized by the State of Alaska and the International Fire Service Accreditation Congress. The certification allows students to work in almost any state in the nation, and further, the academic credits obtained through the Academy can be applied toward an Associate of Applied Science in fire service.
The Class of 2023 continues the path of education and employment beyond the Academy, working with local fire departments, and often securing full-time employment. The skills obtained through applying traditional coursework to real-life scenarios develops valuable and competitive skills for those beginning their fire science career, and the Class of 2023 is the most recent to congratulate.
To learn more about the UAF CTC Fire Academy, follow this link.
Downtown Anchorage in summer 2011, photo courtesy of Flickr user Gator Chris.
Neal Fried, economist and writer for Alaska Dept. of Labor and Workforce Development, examines Anchorage’s bounce back from multiple setbacks — from starting well-positioned at the beginning of the 21st century to the compounding COVID obstacles, Anchorage is recovering, but the going is slow. The feature article, Anchorage, the Second Century, uncovers factors contributing to the pace and provides an outlook for the coming years.
The August edition also shares recent shifts in the construction industry and an analysis of Alaska’s economy.
UA Workforce Development News 