Employers gathered at the Alaska Job Corps Center on Thursday, Oct. 26, for the semi-annual Workforce Summit Council luncheon. Several dozen partners attended the meeting, where they provided input and feedback on how Alaska Job Corps can offer the best possible training to produce the highest quality employees and successful members of the U.S. workforce. A new emphasis on expanding apprenticeship opportunities for Alaska Job Corps graduates was also highlighted in both the presentations and discussion.

Alaska Job Corps Center Finance and Administration Director Ron Young offered the welcome speech in which he introduced the Job Corps program and how each student is held to the highest possible standards. Young also spoke directly to the employers about the benefits of hiring an apprentice through the Job Corps program.

“Each and every student that graduates from Alaska Job Corps is expected to leave with a job, attend college or advanced training, or become an apprentice at an organization like yours,” said Young. “When you sponsor an apprentice from Alaska Job Corps, you gain an employee with portable certifications, at no cost to you, as well as an employee you can train to your exact specifications. By employing an apprentice, you improve the quality of your services, the productivity of your workforce, and, finally, you increase your bottom line.”

At the Summit, employers learned about the curriculum taught in Alaska Job Corps’ nine trades: accounting services, building construction technology, carpentry, certified nursing assistant, culinary arts, electrical, office administration, security and protective services and water/wastewater treatment.

Tami Graham, Alaska Job Corps’ career education manager, presented an overview of skills and certificates offered in each trade, as well as labor market trends in those industries. Neal Fried, State of Alaska economist, provided the keynote speech on Alaska’s current economy, and he expanded on the labor market trends affecting the trades taught at Alaska Job Corps.

Trade instructors sat directly with employers from their industries, presented their curricula and learned what skills and certificates are most important to employers. They also discussed the Work Based Learning program, where students have the opportunity to gain even more hands-on experience by working directly in different organizations.

According to Alaska Job Corps Center Director Malyn Smith, the Workforce Summit Council meetings are essential to the success of the Center.

“This event allows us to not only gain feedback on how our Center is training future employees for the workforce, but we also gain commitments from employers to hire our students through our Work Based Learning program or as employees and apprentices,” said Smith.

The meeting also enables employers, staff and students to connect so that instructors and students can learn about hiring opportunities at specific organizations. Visiting employers included both smaller and larger organizations, including NANA Management Services, the Anchorage School District, the state’s Alaska Veterans and Pioneers Home, Calista Corporation, Yukon Kuskokwim Health Corporation and many more.

The next Alaska Job Corps Workforce Summit Council luncheon will be held May 24, 2018.  

The Alaska Job Corps Center is a federally funded career training program administered by the U.S. Department of Labor and managed by Chugach Educational Services, Inc. The Center is committed to providing the highest quality programs for young adults by offering instructions in academics, trades and life skills through innovative methods that respond to the unique individual and group needs of today’s youth.

Story by Carin Meyer, Alaska Job Corps Center Business and Community Liaison.

Photo by Nia Latson, Alaska Job Corps Center student.