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SBS Gift Cards make shopping for that handyman easy!	Anchorage Construction Academy Takes First Steps in Tackling Construction Worker Shortage Problem in the State Anchorage Construction Academy Takes First Steps in Tackling Construction Worker Shortage Problem in the State For several years now, residential and commercial contractors across the state have been struggling with the same issue – finding qualified employees. Thousands of new workers in construction trades are going to be needed over the next several years, as the workforce ages and to meet increasing job growth. Aside from smaller union apprenticeship efforts, very little has been done to attract or train new people to enter the construction industry in Alaska in recent years. But that may be about to change. The Alaska Legislature approved $1 million in funding this year for the Anchorage Construction Academy (ACA). It’s an effort that could be the beginning of real solutions to the employee crunch so many in the industry have been facing. The ACA is a pilot project to develop vocational education and training for high school juniors and seniors. The project also has a second component that will train unemployed or underemployed adults for jobs in construction. Six main partners came together to develop the Anchorage Construction Academy including the Anchorage School District, Associated General Contractors of Alaska (AGC), Anchorage Home Builders Association (AHBA), Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Cook Inlet Tribal Council and Alaska Works Partnership. The initial goal of the Academy is to train 200 high school students and adults for introductory jobs in construction. It’s expected that the academy will offer a variety of different types of training such as carpentry, painting, electrical, sheet metal work, masonry, plumbing, pipefitting, welding and heavy equipment operations. Employers will identify real needs for specific jobs and will commit to hiring students from the Academy once they receive the training they need to have for those positions. “One of the first things we plan to do is survey employers to see what types of entry level skills are needed, then we’ll likely focus classes on those areas,” said Kathleen Castle, executive director of the ACA grant. Alaska Works Partnerships, Inc., the apprenticeship outreach and training consortium of Alaska Building and Construction Trades, is working on the survey. Meanwhile, additional instructors have been hired and the Anchorage School District has put some of its own money into expanding the number of courses being offered to upper level high school students in Anchorage. The District also has agreed to allow after-hours use of the King Career Center for the ACA adult classes. Cook Inlet Tribal Council and the Department of Labor will likely be the organizations handling the recruiting and orientation sessions to get candidates into the academy. The adult classes will help students raise math and technical reading skills and will prepare students for their first construction jobs and career training through apprenticeships. ACA classes will be free, and students may even be supported through stipends to cover other needs such as tools, child care and transportation to ensure their success through the program. Castle says the long-term hope is that the ACA will be a model that can be duplicated in other parts of the state. Depending on funding, the ACA most likely would be expanded to Fairbanks, the Mat-Su Valley, the Kenai Peninsula and Juneau, where the need for employees has already been identified and where organized home builders associations and commercial contractors have large jobs for which they can hire students as they come out of the academy. Students who are interested in finding out more about the ACA offerings through the Anchorage School District should contact Mike Henry, Director of High School Education at (907) 742-4256 or email to henry_mike@asdk12.org. Adults who are interested in training can contact Mike Andrews, AWP Director at Alaska Works Partnership at (907) 569-4711. Employers who are interested in helping to define the spring 2007 training needs or who might be willing to hire ACA graduates should contact Kathleen Castle at (907) 345-6772 or email to lei@ak.net

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Anchorage Construction Academy Takes First Steps in Tackling Construction Worker Shortage Problem in the State

Anchorage Construction Academy Takes First Steps in Tackling Construction Worker Shortage Problem in the State
For several years now, residential and commercial contractors across the state have been struggling with the same issue – finding qualified employees. Thousands of new workers in construction trades are going to be needed over the next several years, as the workforce ages and to meet increasing job growth. Aside from smaller union apprenticeship efforts, very little has been done to attract or train new people to enter the construction industry in Alaska in recent years. But that may be about to change.

The Alaska Legislature approved $1 million in funding this year for the Anchorage Construction Academy (ACA). It’s an effort that could be the beginning of real solutions to the employee crunch so many in the industry have been facing. The ACA is a pilot project to develop vocational education and training for high school juniors and seniors. The project also has a second component that will train unemployed or underemployed adults for jobs in construction.

Six main partners came together to develop the Anchorage Construction Academy including the Anchorage School District, Associated General Contractors of Alaska (AGC), Anchorage Home Builders Association (AHBA), Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Cook Inlet Tribal Council and Alaska Works Partnership.

The initial goal of the Academy is to train 200 high school students and adults for introductory jobs in construction. It’s expected that the academy will offer a variety of different types of training such as carpentry, painting, electrical, sheet metal work, masonry, plumbing, pipefitting, welding and heavy equipment operations. Employers will identify real needs for specific jobs and will commit to hiring students from the Academy once they receive the training they need to have for those positions.

“One of the first things we plan to do is survey employers to see what types of entry level skills are needed, then we’ll likely focus classes on those areas,” said Kathleen Castle, executive director of the ACA grant.

Alaska Works Partnerships, Inc., the apprenticeship outreach and training consortium of Alaska Building and Construction Trades, is working on the survey. Meanwhile, additional instructors have been hired and the Anchorage School District has put some of its own money into expanding the number of courses being offered to upper level high school students in Anchorage. The District also has agreed to allow after-hours use of the King Career Center for the ACA adult classes. Cook Inlet Tribal Council and the Department of Labor will likely be the organizations handling the recruiting and orientation sessions to get candidates into the academy. The adult classes will help students raise math and technical reading skills and will prepare students for their first construction jobs and career training through apprenticeships. ACA classes will be free, and students may even be supported through stipends to cover other needs such as tools, child care and transportation to ensure their success through the program.

Castle says the long-term hope is that the ACA will be a model that can be duplicated in other parts of the state. Depending on funding, the ACA most likely would be expanded to Fairbanks, the Mat-Su Valley, the Kenai Peninsula and Juneau, where the need for employees has already been identified and where organized home builders associations and commercial contractors have large jobs for which they can hire students as they come out of the academy.

Students who are interested in finding out more about the ACA offerings through the Anchorage School District should contact Mike Henry, Director of High School Education at (907) 742-4256 or email to henry_mike@asdk12.org. Adults who are interested in training can contact Mike Andrews, AWP Director at Alaska Works Partnership at (907) 569-4711. Employers who are interested in helping to define the spring 2007 training needs or who might be willing to hire ACA graduates should contact Kathleen Castle at (907) 345-6772 or email to lei@ak.net