Tag: UAS

University of Alaska Offers More than 40 Construction Programs

Did you know the University of Alaska system offers more than 40 programs directly related to the construction industry in Alaska? 

From carpentry to surveying, heavy duty equipment to welding, and civil engineering to project and construction management, these programs range from short-term certificates to four-year degrees and beyond, and all are designed with industry input to provide the skills needed for employment or career advancement.

There’s always been a need to train new generations of people to work in construction. But the number of job openings in Alaska jumped by 40 percent from 2019 to 2022, and spending from the Infrastructure Act will make filling high-wage jobs even more challenging. Nearly $3 billion is expected to come to Alaska in the next few years from the Infrastructure Act. Another set of projects that will require more technicians and construction workers are the proposals to significantly expand and enhance broadband access across Alaska. 

Since 2011, 3,626 people have graduated from programs relevant to the state’s construction industry and are working either directly in construction or are employed in closely-related industries such as transportation, mining, and oil and gas. Significant numbers also work in state and local government. 

Learn more about the programs, partnerships and opportunities available across the University of Alaska system in our latest “Did You Know” video feature.

Did You Know highlights the UA system’s many successful programs through storytelling and data. Our goal is to educate readers about the universities’ roles in improving lives and shaping the state’s economy. These stories are shared on social media and posted on the website.

REPOWERED FishBiz website!

Alaska commercial fishermen in search of business management assistance will find a wealth of information and tools on Alaska Sea Grant’s revised FishBiz website.

The redesigned and updated site has pertinent information for all phases of a commercial fishing career, from just entering, to upgrading and diversifying, to getting ready to retire. Topics include financing, income diversification, direct marketing and more. Podcasts and downloadable spreadsheets are featured throughout the site, as well as links to key state and federal resources important for making good business decisions.

Source: FishBiz

Did you know, dual enrollment programs are attracting and retaining more Alaska students into the University of Alaska system?

This segment of the “Did You Know?” series takes an in-depth look at dual enrollment programs across the UA system. Dual enrollment pathways, including Middle Colleges, the Alaska Advantage program, ANSEP Acceleration Academies, and other programs, provide a great benefit to Alaskans by improving both high school graduation rates and smoothing pathways to a successful college career — 56 percent of middle college graduates go on to enroll in a UA degree program. As the state considers legislation introduced to expand middle college programs across the entire state, the University of Alaska system is satisfying a growing demand for dual enrollment programs by offering an increasing number of accessible options for every Alaskan.

Source: UA News

Alaska Maritime Education Consortium designated a 2021 Center of Excellence for Domestic Maritime Workforce Training and Education

The Alaska Maritime Education Consortium (AMEC) has received a Center of Excellence for Domestic Maritime Workforce Training and Education (CoE) designation in 2021. The announcement was made by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration on May 19. Twenty-seven maritime training and education organizations received this designation and AMEC is one of just two consortium models to receive this recognition.

The Alaska Maritime Education Consortium (AMEC) represents a collaboration between the University of Alaska and the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development through the Alaska Vocational Technical Center (AVTEC) in Seward. The university campuses include: University of Alaska Anchorage Kenai Peninsula College at Kachemak Bay Campus in Homer, Kodiak College, and Prince William Sound College in Valdez; University of Alaska Fairbanks Bristol Bay Campus in Dillingham; and University of Alaska Southeast Ketchikan Campus. Through the consortium, Alaskans across the state have access to four state-of-the-art mission bridge simulators and firefields, more than 40 U.S. Coast Guard approved courses, and other industry recognized training.

“This prestigious designation recognizes the value of our partnership and the caliber of our maritime training programs as being among the best in the country,” said UA Interim President Pat Pitney.

As enacted in the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act, certain colleges are designated as maritime centers of excellence with the goal of creating a new talent pipeline for careers in the maritime trades. The program is designed to assist the maritime industry in gaining and sustaining a well-trained labor force while enhancing diversity and inclusion in the industry. Through these designations, MARAD may start working with the designated institutions to enter into cooperative agreements to help advance recruitment of students and faculty, enhance facilities, award student credit for military service, and potentially receive assistance in the form of surplus equipment or temporary use of MARAD vessels. 

The collaboration between the University of Alaska and AVTEC provides maritime career pathways to good paying jobs and helps provide a skilled workforce to meet the maritime industry’s needs. While this consortium was established in 2019, UA’s partnership with AVTEC and commitment to this key economic sector has been growing for more than a decade.

“We intend to utilize this designation to expand the awareness of the industry, career opportunities, and the premier training that is available at AVTEC and multiple University of Alaska campuses,” said AVTEC Director Cathy LeCompte.

In preparing the CoE application, AMEC developed its five-year Action Agenda as a follow-up to the 2014 Alaska Maritime Workforce Plan. It includes a brief summary of the Plan’s goals and strategies, an update and review of the maritime priority occupations based on labor market information, activities and outcomes since the Plan was published, and specific AMEC projects to strengthen training and employment.

Through the CoE designation, the Maritime Administration supports community or technical colleges and maritime training centers that prepare Americans for careers in the maritime industry. The CoE designation recognizes the tremendous value that the Alaska Maritime Education Consortium provides to our state and nation. AMEC will leverage the designation to strengthen future funding opportunities to invest in these maritime programs and enhance their ability to meet the maritime workforce industry’s needs.

Alaska’s maritime industry — often referred to as “Alaska’s blue economy” — supports more than 70,000 jobs and, according to the Alaska Department of Labor, is the state’s largest private employer. It includes fishermen, seafood processors, ocean managers and researchers, vessel operators, deckhands, mechanics and many others who work in jobs connected to Alaska’s 34,000 miles of shoreline and multibillion-dollar annual seafood industry. Alaska waters produce more than 60 percent of the nation’s seafood harvest with a wholesale value of nearly $6 billion.

Alaska is highly dependent on maritime shipping for imports of food and other goods, and for exports of oil, seafood and minerals. Alaska’s blue economy is boosted annually by millions of dollars generated from water transport including visitors arriving on cruise ships, halibut charters, travel on Alaska’s Marine Highway vessels and subsistence hunting and fishing. These opportunities require a responsive workforce that enables the maritime sector to remain a substantial contributor to the state.

For additional information, please visit Centers of Excellence on the MARAD website.

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For more information contact Monique Musick, manager communications and marketing UA System Office, 907-388-4784, or Cathy LeCompte, 907-224-6150, director of the Alaska Vocational Technical Center.