Arielle Ingram-David, reporter with Alaska’s News Source (KTUU), sheds light on Alaska’s maritime sector not only as one for sailing and transportation, but also for skills and trades that support maritime infrastructure.
Alaska Works Partnership, a state nonprofit that provides training and opens employment opportunity for Alaskans, hosted an expo in Juneau to introduce the public to the many career and diverse opportunities the maritime sector can offer.
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.
Maritime Works, a network of Alaska maritime industry partners, produced video vignettes for those interested in pursuing a technical, vocational, or seafood career in the state. These three-minute videos highlight seafood processing career opportunities as a plant electrician, plant manager, quality assurance technician, and refrigeration technician. The videos provide personal insights into career opportunities within Alaska’s largest manufacturing sector, while increasing awareness of seafood industry jobs.
Read the full article here. Go directly to the video by clicking here.
Source: Alaska Sea Grant. Full article by Caleb Taylor, ASG seafood workforce coordinator.
Dave Bailey, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, presents to conference attendees. Photo by Arron Jones/Alaska Sea Grant.
The second annual Mariculture Conference of Alaska was held in Juneau, Alaska, on February 15–17, 2022. The conference was an opportunity for farmers, researchers, and professionals in mariculture-related industries and agencies to present and discuss a range of issues related to recent mariculture innovations, science, and activities in Alaska. This conference highlighted accomplishments and opportunities for industry growth, education, and research. Video recordings of most presentations are available on-demand at the Alaska Sea Grant YouTube channel—2023 Mariculture Conference of Alaska.
“Overall, this was one of the best conferences I’ve been to in a long time. It was clearly carefully planned. I look forward to attending next year. Kudos to the planning team!”
UA Workforce Development News 