What can local organizations do?
Adopt a resolution in support for the AMWDP, and let us know as we’re tracking supporters. We can provide a draft template for you to use.
Learn what others believe would be useful and / or identify what other communities are doing, and either replicate or use the ideas to create what makes sense for your community.
Guidance from others
The Industry Advisory Committee (IAC) for the Alaska Maritime Workforce Development Plan, identified a need for schools and businesses to connect more effectively/consistently. Aprimarychallenge is first to create consistent interactions between students and businesses in each community, and to make those interactions engaging to get students enthused and directed towards maritime careers.
The Dept. of Education and Early Development identified that having a list of business people in each community who are willing to go into the schools/provide the opportunity for field trips is especially needed. What we also know is interactive, hands-on projects or tasks make learning more effective. In the smaller / coastal communities, Chambers, UA campuses, or others may be able to help with this. A local organization is needed to play a coordinating role.
Build on Your Community’s Maritime Assets
As examples, strategies from Seward, Homer, Ketchikan and Bristol Bay are provided.
Seward
The Seward community is in a unique position to have in its community AVTEC and the Alaska Maritime Training Center.The Seward community may want to engage with the Center to identify ifthere’s assistance a specific organization, such as the Chamber, can offer.
Along these lines, the Chamber, local school district and others may want toensureSeward schools and other youth oriented organizations are utilizing AVTEC’s capabilities, such as AVTEC’s Nautical Skills, AVTEC’sYoung Fisherman’s program (Perkins funding available through State Dept. of Education CTE grants), both of which are building blocks to the more advanced mariner and marine engineering courses and programs.
Each community has education resources, whether AVTEC, UA, regional training centers, or K-12 that can be engaged in growing maritime skills and careers.
The Alaska State Education Tax Credit is available for support to AVTEC, UA and all other qualifiededucational organizations, such as localschooldistrictsand regional training centersforpurposes of vocational education.Local businesses, and others, with the help of theChamber, may be able to attract contributions from outside the community too. Information about the tax credit is available.
Homer Marine Trades Association has Established Two Committees
Workforce Development Committee (Matt Alward, chair)
Working with K-12, andhave been invited to put on six 45 minute classes at the high school, one a week, with a different trade sponsoring and teaching each class. There are two goals for these classes. Career awareness of the marine trades, and to get a sense of how many kids are interested in what kind of trades.
The committeewill take what it learns from these classes and go to the school board to request support to develop more CTE classes in the schools, and then throughout the entire school district.
HMTAis alsoconsideringdeveloping a marine trades app that targets elementary age kids. The idea is a game based on marine trades both on and off the water that gets young kids' attention.
Community College Advisory Committee (Don Lane, chair)
This committee isworking with KPC and is developing an eight week course titled “Marine Tech Series: The Next Generation.”This is a non-credit (continuing ed) type class, and will be offered in the spring term catalog. Structured as a series of two-hour classes every Wednesday night, the series will begin during the latter part of February. Each class is an overview of different skills that the industry feels is important to working on a boat (either fishing or work boat). Each class is sponsored by a different marine trade, which will be responsible for providing curriculum, training aids, and instructors. KPC plans to charge $25 for each person, per class.
Ketchikan -Vigor has started / is initiating high school Internships.
Bristol Bay–SAVEC, the area’s regional training center,produced the Bristol Bay Careers as a guide to help teachers and others identify career paths for students. An electronic document is available.
Other examples are being collected and documented.
If you would like to contribute by letting us know what’s happening in your community, please contact us!
Margaret (Meg) J. King
Contract Coordinator
Alaska Maritime Workforce Development Implementation
907.947.5580