Tag: UAA

College of Health Amazing Academic Insight Day

Based roughly on the Amazing Race television show, about 90 interested health students and their guests (parents and family) raced around campus in March learning about the many programs the COH has to offer in the medical and health occupations.

Students found 28 challenge stations each with a unique task or challenge to complete before they could get a sticker and move on. Throughout the race, student clubs hosted “feeding stations” with food and refreshments, to develop interest in clubs. The young minds, the atmosphere of fun competition, and the great activities made it a night to remember.

Prizes included a 3-credit tuition waiver, a semester parking pass, an Amazon Echo, an Instapot, and many $25 gift cards. Some students were really competitive, completing 24 of the 28 stations, and others were asking questions and learning all they could.

There are already plans for next year’s Amazing Race Academic Insight Day, with the goal of making it even more successful and an event that will grow each year.

Source: University of Alaska Anchorage College of Health

University of Alaska Anchorage to Offer Free Registered Behavior Technician Credential

Direct service providers who work with individuals with special needs may qualify for an opportunity to earn a national credential in Applied Behavior Analysis at no little to no cost. Medicaid Coverage for Autism Services is scheduled to take effect on July 1, 2018 and providers are required to have the Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) credential in order to render services.

The Center for Human Development at UAA is offering free training to obtain the RBT credential. This training will meet the requirements set forth by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board to sit for the Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) credential. The Behavior Analyst Certification Board has specific requirements for applicants to become Registered Behavior Technicians. Please review the information located on their website about the requirements for obtaining and maintaining the RBT credential (https://bacb.com/rbt/).

This training will consist of access to online modules and hands-on skill competency assessments. Upon successful completion of the training, participants will be able to apply for the national credential and take the exam. We currently have funding to cover the entire cost of training, applying, and travel to and from the testing sites in Anchorage and Fairbanks.

To Apply for RBT Training, click here.

Source: University of Alaska Anchorage Alaska Health Workforce Coalition

University provides Alaskans with affordable workforce training and certification

A welder works on the new coal-fired 17-megawatt power plant being built by the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Welding programs, as well as several other vocational and technical education programs, will see reduced tuition this fall at all three major University of Alaska campuses. (JR Ancheta / University of Alaska Fairbanks)

As the primary provider of the state’s skilled workforce, the University of Alaska is identifying more affordable ways to educate Alaskans. Alaskans often think of our state as a place where we can secure a good-paying job without higher education credentials or certifications, but that’s less and less often the case. By 2025, 65 percent of jobs in Alaska will require some post-secondary credential. Alaska’s economy is changing and so is its university.

We’re starting with the career and technical education opportunities available through the university for those looking for a job as a welder, a nurse aide, a corrections officer, to refine bookkeeping or basic carpentry skills or to fill other critical positions in Alaska communities. The University of Alaska’s occupational endorsement programs are specifically designed to provide these skill-building courses.

To make these training opportunities more accessible and affordable, beginning in fall 2018, the university will reduce tuition by 25 percent in selected occupational endorsement programs and career and technical education  courses. The tuition reduction will apply to more than 300 courses in 50 programs at the University of Alaska Anchorage, University of Alaska Fairbanks, and University of Alaska Southeast, including community campuses. Open registration for fall 2018 began April 16 and continues throughout the summer. The reduced tuition is part of the university’s plan to meet Alaska’s workforce needs by growing enrollment and increasing degree completion.

Read the full article here. Learn more about the tuition reduction here.

Source: University provides Alaskans with affordable workforce training and certification – Anchorage Daily News

Pilot program sparks passion

Joshua Diaz was thrown out of a window and excited about it.

The Kenai Central High School senior is the smallest of 10 district students participating in Nikiski Fire Station No. 2’s basic firefighter academy, which means he’s the one going out the window.

“We were practicing ladders and I’m tiny so I got thrown out the window from the fire,” Diaz explained. “We had learned knots before that, lots of them, and a lot of different smoke drills and rope rapelling. It’s all so exciting and fun and interesting”

The week-long academy held the week of March 12-16, is a first for the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District, who was able to send the ten students to Nikiski to earn their state certifications through grants, according to Stephen Robertson, an adjunct professor with Kenai Peninsula College and engineer firefighter in Nikiski.

“This is the pilot program for the district,” Roberston said. “It’s your first step into firefighting, to get someone certified and be able to have that base knowledge of it.”

The station has offered similar programs in the past, through EXCEL Alaska for Western Alaska students, but this is the first time Kenai Peninsula students had the opportunity to earn their certifications in the local station.

“The cool part for us is that we can get them hooked now,” Robertson said. “If they get hooked on it young, then they have a long, healthy career ahead of them and it starts to replace the older guys.”

The academy met five days a week from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. throughout the student’s spring break and, while most students usually tend to avoid tests over the holidays, the week culminates in a written exam.

Read the full article here.

Source: Pilot program sparks passion – Homer News

Career and Technical Education Tuition Discount

 Beginning this fall, the University of Alaska will offer a 25 percent tuition discount on selected career and technical education (CTE) courses. The discount will apply to 50 programs and more than 300 courses at the University of Alaska Anchorage, University of Alaska Fairbanks, and University of Alaska Southeast including community campuses. Eligible programs range from pharmacy technology to welding, and many courses can be taken online to accommodate the needs of working Alaskans.

In providing a discount for courses in many high-demand workforce areas, more Alaskans will have the opportunity to build the skills they will need for their advancement in Alaska’s future workforce. These skill-based programs also are ideal for employers looking to affordably develop employees’ skills or for individuals looking to change careers or increase their credentials.

The discount is part of the university’s plan to meet its goals to grow enrollment, increase degree completion and meet Alaska’s workforce needs. According to national research, by 2025, 65 percent of Alaska jobs will require some form of post-secondary education. Many of the applicable programs are in high-demand workforce areas such as marine transportation, medical billing, phlebotomy, welding, office management and construction technology.

While UA’s tuition is low compared to peer universities in the western United States, its tuition for CTE programs is high compared to other community college systems. By providing a discount for these courses, UA hopes to enroll Alaskans who want to refresh or learn new skills and those who want to return to college to complete a workforce training program.

The CTE discount will be applied on a course-by-course basis. For example, if a lower division course tuition is $212 per credit, the applied discount would be $53 per credit. There is no reduction to assessed fees, non-resident surcharge, or other costs. For a complete list of eligible courses and programs across the university system, visit www.alaska.edu/starthere/cte.

Source: The Statewide Voice