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Can Alaskans Keep Up With The Growing Construction Industry?
A program in Anchorage is looking to get more Alaskans prepared for the workforce with the help of job training.
By Alexis Fernandez


A program in Anchorage is looking to get more Alaskans prepared for the workforce with the help of job training.

The Anchorage Construction Academy was created back in 2006 when the Alaska State Legislature awarded a $1 million grant to start the pilot project to help Alaskans learn skills to help them land a permanent job in the construction industry.

In 2010, 16,000 workers earned a living in the construction industry, with an average annual salary of $60,000.

As more projects pop up across the state, Alaskans are being overlooked in the hiring process because of their qualifications, according to state Sen. Dennis Egan, D-Juneau.

“We’d like to see Alaskans get prepared, get the training they need so they can take those jobs and stay here in Alaska, make a good living, and provide for their families,” said Mike Tucker, a carpentry instructor with the academy.

The academy is a short-term free training program that is open to anyone interested in learning a new trade.

“It gives them a chance to try out the trade,” Tucker said, providing a way for them to “get that entry-level job.”

More than 650 people have graduated from the program, and many of them have gone on to pursue careers in their respective trades.

“If we don't get the training started before these projects hit, then the jobs are going to the to the folks that are going to come up from outside,” he said.

The deadline to apply for the next academy is Friday, Sept. 30, 2011.