The Alaska Contractor: Fall 2006

The Anchorage Construction Academy
is a pilot program developed by
the Associated General Contractors of
Alaska in partnership with the Alaska
Department of Labor and Workforce
Development, the Anchorage School
District and a cadre of industry groups,
and it promises to tackle the growing
need for new workplace talent, said
AGC executive director Dick Cattanach.
“Because of the huge shortage facing
the construction industry and the
desire by all parties to hire Alaskans for
Alaskan jobs, AGC and the Anchorage
School District agreed to work together
to address the issue,” he said.
“Because of the huge
shortage facing the
construction industry
and the desire by all
parties to hire Alaskans
for Alaskan jobs, AGC
and the Anchorage
School District agreed
to work together to
address the issue.”
– Dick Cattanach
Think of it as a hefty upgrade to
the shop class offered 20 or 30 years
ago. Students learn the basics: applied
math, carpentry essentials, safety
practices and, depending on aptitude,
other disciplines such as plumbing and
electrical work. For the initial phase,
100 Anchorage high school juniors
and seniors and 100 unemployed and
underemployed young people ages 18
through 24 will be recruited to participate
in the program, said Anchorage
School District Superintendent Carol
Comeau.
“The biggest difference is that it
will use after-school and weekend
classes and will include ASD students
as well as young adults recommended
for the academy,” Comeau said.
The adult participants will train
at King Career Center in Anchorage
while younger students will take core
classes at Service, East and West high
schools and hopefully Chugiak, she
said.
Grant administrator for the program
is Cathleen Castle of Leadership
Experiences. She points to research
from state labor analysts showing a
looming need for all types of construction
workers to replace a rapidly retiring
workforce. Department of Labor
projections for the next six years suggest
Alaska’s construction industry
will need as many as 1,000 new work-
ers per year. Toss a natural gas pipeline
project into the equation and those
numbers could soar, industry watchers
say.
Cooperation and connections
Once students get into the educational
pipeline, the program aims to
bring together agencies and industry
representatives to match prospective
workers with jobs.
Key players will include the state
labor department, with its network of
Fall 2006 The Alaska CONTRACTOR 53