Tag: Transportation

UAF Student Grows Career with Alaska Airlines

Photo by Joe Nicholson

University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) student, Kyle H., became a full-fledged aircraft technician last year through the Alaska Airlines Maintenance Technician Development Program.

When he was 20, Kyle began working as a ramp service agent in Juneau, Alaska — but his aspirations required more. He enrolled in the UAF airframe & powerplant (A&P) program to pursue licensure, while simultaneously continuing his work as a ramp service agent, but becoming a student while employed proved to be a hard transition for Kyle.

To that end, Kyle learned about a program for aspiring aircraft mechanics that could help him with class fees while working. Encouragement from leaders inspired him to apply, and he was accepted. As the first student completing the program, Kyle received $12,300 in stipends and mentorship opportunities with a certified airframe and power plant (A&P) technician.

Now, Kyle established his role as a line aircraft technician in Anchorage, and encourages others to consider applying for the program.

“Know what you’re capable of, but don’t be afraid to push your limits. Hard work and determination will always pay off, and I’m living proof,” says Kyle.

Read more about about Kyle’s story.

Source: Marianne Lindsey, Alaska Airlines News & Stories.

Alaska January Economic Trends

In January Trends: All Alaska industries expected to add jobs or hold steady, worker shortages are ongoing, and federal infrastructure money will start flowing in 2023. Read more about Alaska’s economic outlook in this issue of Trends.

Source: Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development.

A sky-high partnership

UAA and the Anchorage School District’s new partnership between King Tech High School and the Community & Technical College’s Aviation Technology Division to provide high school students with the opportunity to earn their private pilot license. (Photo by James Evans / University of Alaska Anchorage)

UAA and the Anchorage School District unveil a new partnership between King Tech High School and the Community & Technical College’s Aviation Technology Division to provide high school students with the opportunity to earn their private pilot license.

Read the full article here.

Source: A sky-high partnership – UAA Green and Gold

New workforce data highlights the University of Alaska’s impact on preparing students for Alaska jobs & good wages

An in-depth analysis of nine major Alaska industries captures the impact that university programs have in preparing its students for jobs in Alaska’s workforce. The reports answer key questions related to the largest and fastest growing occupations that require some postsecondary education and highlights important employment indicators such as average wages earned, where UA grads work in Alaska, what industries they work in, and how they help boost the Alaska hire rate.

The workforce development and institutional research offices at the University of Alaska partnered with the Research and Analysis Section in the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development to create the reports, which demonstrate UA graduate outcomes in nine key fields — administration and finance, aviation, construction, fisheries and marine science, health, information technology, mining, oil and gas, and teacher education. The reports can be found at https://www.alaska.edu/ research/wd/reports.php.

“We are in the business of creating Alaska’s workforce,” UA Interim President Pat Pitney told the Senate Education Committee on Feb. 3, adding that 70 to 90 percent of UA graduates stay in Alaska and find employment. 

The health report, for example, shows that of more than 2,300 nursing graduates in both 2-year and 4-year programs, 89 percent remain in Alaska after graduation and are employed at an average wage of $70,000.

Teri Cothren, University of Alaska Associate Vice President Workforce Development, said: “This data demonstrates the success of our core programs and how we are contributing to Alaska’s high‐demand industries and economy.” 

In preparing the reports, the university analyzed labor market information to identify the largest and fastest-growing occupations in the nine industries, then linked related UA programs to those jobs. Detailed employment and wage information was extracted from employer quarterly reports filed with the Dept. of Labor. That means the numbers are based on a comprehensive match of all graduates who remain and work in Alaska.

“The economic value of training and education is abundantly clear in the data,” said Dan Robinson, Chief Labor Research & Analysis, Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development. “More education and training also correlate strongly with lower unemployment rates.”  

Median earnings, for example, jumped from $35,328 for high school graduates to $44,619 for Alaskans with an associate degree, $57,708 for those with a bachelor’s degree, and $77,402 for holders of graduate or professional degrees. 

Read the full article here.

Source: UA News Center

Federal Aviation Administration Awards nearly $2.6M in Drone Grants to Universities

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will give nearly $2.6 million in grants to universities for research into drones. The FAA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Transportation, said the universities will comprise the agency’s Air Transportation Center of Excellence for Unmanned Aircraft Systems(AUS), also known as the Alliance for System Safety of UAS through Research Excellence (ASSURE).

According to the FAA, there are 1.7 million drones in the AUS fleet, which is expected to grow to 2.2 million by 2023. The grants are for enhancing the safe and successful integration of drones into American airspace.

“The research funded by these grants will provide valuable data as the Department leads the way to chart a course for the safe integration of drones into our national airspace,” Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao said. “In addition to providing grants, we are also supporting activities that provide operational experience like the Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration Pilot Program, all of which move us more quickly toward full integration.”

The four different grants are provided for specific projects and goals. Grants were distributed to 14 universities across the country, including the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

Source: Federal Aviation Administration awards nearly $2.6M in drone grants to universities – Transportation Today