It’s a never-ending success story at the Alaska Job Corps.  In the last few months six graduates found employment in the health care industry.  A few are now employed at other senior facilities as certified nursing assistants.  Several are at Providence and Primrose and the pioneer homes. A number of Water/Wastewater students are now working at city water plants in the state and National Forest Service sites in the lower 48; these are coveted positions and high paying jobs, in demand.

Job Corps graduates are the bookkeepers at traditional council office, auto-lube technicians, pharmacy techs, maintenance counselors, certified medical assistants, carpenters with regional carpentry, electrical and roofing contractors, apprentices with seafarers, and service clerks at the power company.   Culinary students work at 5 star restaurants and at local coffee shops or bakeries. Accounting and Administrative Assistants are now hard at work at hospitals, housing facilities, banks, colleges, nonprofits and utility companies throughout the state.

In addition to the above placements, a number of students join the military or go on to advanced training.  The Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, Alaska Native Heritage Center, Calista, Doyon, SouthCentral Foundation, CITC, AVCP Regional Housing Authority, CIRI, Nana Management Services, Yukon Kuskokwim Health Corporation are all continual employers for Job Corps graduates.  Students have also taken good jobs at Anchorage Water and Wastewater Utility, Anchorage Well and Pump, city hall and in the public works offices of the City of Palmer and City of Wasilla,

Some superstar graduates are still in touch with the Alaska Job Corps.  Solomon Crownover is a major contractor in the state and he comes back to hire and train students.  Mariano is a chef at Google now and he hasn’t forgotten his Job Corps training.  Jon works as a professional hauler; James works on the Kenai oil rig; Kristina is a registered nurse now; Alisha is the top foreman at the water plant, Matt teaches at Harvard.  There are hundreds of success stories with Job Corps alumni and Facebook is full of reunions, encouragement and appreciation for their alma mater.

Because the Alaska Job Corps is a revolving entry/exit training program, each month sees new trainees enter the program and likewise graduates leave the program to begin employment in their new careers.  Krystal Kompkoff, Manager of Admissions and Transition, says, “When students complete the program, they automatically have a far higher opportunity for better pay and advancement.”  Center Director, Malyn Smith concurs, “They mature in so many ways.  They start as a student and they leave as an trained employee, ready and equipped for the rest of their lives.”