Legislature(2021 - 2022)BARNES 124
02/24/2021 03:15 PM House LABOR & COMMERCE
Note: the audio ![]()
and video ![]()
recordings are distinct records and are obtained from different sources. As such there may be key differences between the two. The audio recordings are captured by our records offices as the official record of the meeting and will have more accurate timestamps. Use the icons to switch between them.
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| Presentation(s): Informational Hearing on School to Apprenticeship &workforce Development | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
HOUSE LABOR AND COMMERCE STANDING COMMITTEE
February 24, 2021
3:17 p.m.
DRAFT
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Zack Fields, Co-Chair
Representative Ivy Spohnholz, Co-Chair
Representative Calvin Schrage
Representative Liz Snyder
Representative David Nelson
Representative James Kaufman
Representative Ken McCarty
MEMBERS ABSENT
All members present
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
PRESENTATION(S): INFORMATIONAL HEARING ON SCHOOL TO
APPRENTICESHIP &WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
- HEARD
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
No previous action to record
WITNESS REGISTER
JOHN HAKALA, Director
Alaska Office of Apprenticeship
U.S. Department of Labor
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Gave a presentation on youth apprenticeship
trainings entitled "Apprenticeship for High School Students
Providing a Foundation for Career Success and Skilled Workers
for Businesses."
MISSY FRAZE, Director
Career and Technical Education
Anchorage School District (ASD)
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Gave a presentation entitled "Education &
Industry: Developing tomorrow's workforce today"
JONI SIMPSON, Director
Career and Technical Education
Fairbanks North Star Borough School District
Fairbanks, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Gave a presentation entitled "Pre-
Apprenticeship Opportunities in the Fairbanks North Star Borough
School District."
MARI SELLE, Director
Workforce Development
Alaska Primary Care Association (APCA)
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Co-presented a presentation entitled "APCA
Apprenticeship Program & APU Partnership."
HILTON HALLOCK, Provost
Alaska Pacific University
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Co-presented a presentation entitled "APCA
Apprenticeship Program & APU Partnership."
PAM CLINE, Business Representative
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW)
Wasilla, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of new apprenticeship
programs.
RYAN ANDREW, Business Representative
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW)
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of new apprenticeship
programs.
HEIDI DRYGAS, Attorney and Lobbyist
Drygas Group, LLC
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of new apprenticeship
programs.
ACTION NARRATIVE
3:17:55 PM
[Due to technical difficulties, the first few minutes of audio
was not captured; however, the pertinent information has been
provided from the secretary's log notes.]
CO-CHAIR ZACK FIELDS called the House Labor and Commerce
Standing Committee meeting to order at 3:17 p.m.
Representatives Fields, Spohnholz, Snyder, Kaufman, Schrage,
McCarty, and Nelson were present at the call to order.
^PRESENTATION(s): Informational Hearing on School to
Apprenticeship &Workforce Development
PRESENTATION(s): Informational Hearing on School to
Apprenticeship &Workforce Development
3:18:05 PM
CO-CHAIR FIELDS announced that the only order of business would
be an informational hearing of school to apprenticeship and
workforce development.
3:19:09 PM
John Hakala, Director, Alaska Office of Apprenticeship, U.S.
Department of Labor, offered a presentation entitled
"Apprenticeship for High School Students Providing a Foundation
for Career Success and Skilled Workers for Businesses" [hard
copy included in the committee packet]. He read from slide 2,
"Youth Apprenticeships are on the Move!" which read as follows
[original punctuation provided]:
Youth Apprenticeships are on the Move!
Communities across the country are launching new
programs that engage students in apprenticeships
during their high school years. These high school
apprenticeship programs provide results for youth,
schools, and businesses.
DOL's Youth Apprenticeship portfolio supports
apprenticeship programs for youth between the ages of
16-24 that combine academic and technical classroom
instruction with work experience through an
apprenticeship program.
The portfolio provides policies, investments,
partnerships, awareness raising, and tools to
organizations that are working to raise awareness
about Youth Apprenticeship and to start programs.
Between FY15 FY19, the number of youth
apprentices has grown by nearly 50% (from 34,765 in
FY15 to 52,050 in FY19)
National Apprenticeship Act of 2021 includes
youth and pre-apprenticeship
MR. HAKALA then read slide 3, "High School Registered
Apprenticeship," which read as follows [original punctuation
provided]:
High School (HS) Registered Apprenticeship
programs combine work-based, on-the-job learning with
relevant technical education in the classroom.
Students who participate in these programs
graduate with a high school diploma, may earn college
credits, and national industry credentials.
They also start on a career path that continues
after high school graduation whether that is a
continuation of their registered apprenticeship along
with college, college only, registered apprenticeship
only, or other full-time employment.
HS Registered Apprenticeships benefit businesses
as well by providing a fresh source of talent
developed from within their community.
MR. HAKALA paraphrased from slide 4, "For Students," which
read as follows [original punctuation provided]:
You can easily get the essential skills and
experience you need for your future career through a
Registered Apprenticeship program.
These programs combine your current high school
curriculum with critical on-the-job training from a
local employer.
As an apprentice, you will receive classroom
education, technical skills training, and work
experience while earning a paycheck.
Upon completion, you will earn a portable
credential that recognizes the dedication you put
forth and expertise you now have in a particular
career field without student debt.
MR. HAKALA then paraphrased from slide 5, "For Parents,"
which read as follows [original punctuation provided]:
You want the best for your child, including the
best possible start to their professional career.
High School Registered Apprenticeship enables
your high school-aged student to gain the skills for
in-demand occupations while earning a paycheck in a
safe environment.
The program also helps ensure your student's
academic success: high school completion is a
necessary part of the program.
Structured on-the-job training paired with
classroom instruction relevant to a viable occupation
create the right combination to prepare your child for
a promising career.
MR. HAKALA then paraphrased from slide 6, "For Educators,"
which read as follows [original punctuation provided]:
Preparing students to be the next generation of
skilled workers is vitally important.
By partnering with local businesses, your school
district can create additional opportunities for
learning and growth through High School Registered
Apprenticeship.
The high school curriculum and career and
technology training you offer are integral pieces of
the program.
In addition, High School Registered
Apprenticeship enhances your academic success goals as
high school completion is a program requirement.
3:23:27 PM
MR. HAKALA directed attention to a portion of slide 6, "For
Educators," with a photo of current high school senior Kayden
Gilia of Akiak School, and shared that Ms. Gilia is the first
ever youth apprentice for the associate teacher occupation, a
program which is sponsored by Akiak School.
MR. HAKALA then paraphrased from slide 7, "For Businesses,"
which read as follows [original punctuation provided]:
What skills will your workforce need over the
next few years? How will you replace retiring
employees?
High School Registered Apprenticeship can help
employers address these challenges.
Cooperation and partnering with your local school
district allows you to professionally develop a high
school junior or senior apprentice through on-the-job
training, that you help to customize.
The program essentially allows you to create your
next-generation workforce.
MR. HAKALA then paraphrased from slide 8, "Pre
Apprenticeship for Youth," which read as follows [original
punctuation provided]:
Students take courses directly related to the
apprenticeship field, in addition to their required
high school coursework, which count toward high school
graduation.
Youth may engage in pre-apprenticeship as an on-
ramp to apprenticeship.
They participate in on-the-job learning
activities (beginning at age 16), which can count
toward entry into an apprenticeship program.
Students can apply to an apprenticeship program
leading up to or upon high school graduation.
MR. HAKALA then moved on to slide 9, "Resources," which
included a list of resources for information on
apprenticeship programs, and asked if there were any
questions.
3:25:32 PM
REPRESENTATIVE NELSON asked about the largest apprenticeship
programs in the state.
MR. HAKALA responded that the department works with programs
across multiple occupations and industries, and stated that some
of these programs only have one apprentice and some have upwards
of 300 apprentices.
REPRESENTATIVE NELSON clarified that he would like to know what
the largest apprenticeship programs in the state are and asked
Mr. Hakala to share the names of these programs.
MR. HAKALA responded that the majority of department's programs
are in the construction field, the largest of which include
carpenters, electricians, plumbers, and pipefitters. The larger
programs are the joint partnership between the International
Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) and the National
Electrical Contractors Association (NECA), referred to as the
Alaska Joint Electrical Apprenticeship and Training Trust. He
also identified the Associated Building and Contractors of
Alaska as the largest non-union group. The multi-employer
programs typically have more apprentices than the single
employer, he continued, and so the number varies. He mentioned
the Alaska Primary Care Association as a group that has a high
number of health care apprentices, and stated that he could
provide the committee with a list of the registered programs and
the number of apprentices enrolled in each of the programs if
the committee desires it.
3:28:04 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SCHRAGE asked what the typical duration of an
apprenticeship program is, and what percent of apprentices start
in high school.
MR. HAKALA responded that the program includes occupations that
last from one year to five years. The department responds
depending on the demand from the industry and occupation. In
health care for example, it's typical to have programs that last
from one to two years, and he perceives that time range to be
trending in the field of social services as well. He said that
the department has school-to-apprenticeship linkage agreements
that all the major programs implement into their selection
process, and that programs have always tried to work on a track
with youth. Youth apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship
programs are not included in the federal regulations, and he
explained that that is why he included information in his
presentation about the National Apprenticeship Act of 2021,
because if it becomes part of the department's regulation, the
department will begin to track it more. He gave the example of
Akiak School from his presentation and stated that the
department developed the standards of the apprenticeship
programs directly with the school to get the program standards
"as close to the employment site" as possible.
3:30:47 PM
CO-CHAIR SPOHNHOLZ asked Mr. Hakala to describe the
opportunities that would be available to the state should the
National Apprenticeship Act of 2021 pass.
MR. HAKALA responded that he thinks it would be a "game-changer"
and that each state would receive significant funding. He
shared that the expectation of the department is that, as
organizations embrace youth apprenticeship, there would be
support from the federal Department of Labor & Workforce
Development to assist the programs. He referred to his
presentation again and stated that there are national
investments in youth apprenticeship that may already be looking
for partners. He hopes that Alaska is attentive to funding
streams for these youth apprenticeship programs to help the
programs launch more robustly in the state.
3:32:30 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SNYDER asked whether the on-the-job training
occurs during school hours, or after school.
MR. HAKALA responded that due to child labor laws, part-time
work, which is typically no more than 20 hours per week, is what
the department is expecting. The department expects that
students would be working full-time in the summer. In response
to a follow-up question, he stated that it is a possibility that
on-the-job training could occur during school hours. The
department would have a discussion with the various industries
about their particular needs and it would be agreed upon as a
group. He doesn't believe that it would preclude working during
school hours as long as students stay focused on their
schoolwork and achieve academic success, which he stated is the
first priority.
3:34:35 PM
MISSY FRAZE, Director, Career and Technical Education, Anchorage
School District (ASD), shared her presentation on Career and
Technical Education (CTE) opportunities that exist currently in
the Anchorage School District (ASD), entitled "Education &
Industry: Developing tomorrow's workforce today." She turned
the committee's attention to slide 2, "What is happening in
CTE?" and summarized the information on it, which read as
follows [original punctuation provided]:
Over 5,000 students accessing CTE courses across ASD
.notdef Biomedical
.notdef Certified Nurse Aide
.notdef Culinary
.notdef Computer Science
.notdef Construction
.notdef Diesel Maintenance
.notdef Engineering Technology
.notdef Entrepreneurship
.notdef Information Technology
.notdef Metal Fabrication
.notdef Welding
.notdef And more?
MS. FRAZE added that ASD has over 14 career clusters and 30
different pathways that students can pursue while in high
school. She shared that ASD has programs in 9 high schools and
10 middle schools.
MS. FRAZE moved to slide 3, "What we do," and paraphrased from
it. She explained that the district's goal is to give students
the opportunity to get hands-on experience, learn from
professionals, and learn technical skills. The slide read as
follows [original punctuation provided]:
.notdef Career Exploration & Development
.notdef Technical Skills Training
.notdef Certifications
.notdef AWS Welding
.notdef Certified Nurse Aide
.notdef EMT .notdef Serve Safe
.notdef CPR/First Aid
.notdef NCCER .notdef OSHA 10
.notdef And more .
MS. FRAZE shared slide 4, "Why CTE Works," and explained that
the goal is to increase CTE opportunities because students have
shared that these courses are a "light as the end of the tunnel"
of high school. The slide read as follows [original punctuation
provided]:
Provides purpose for learning
.notdef Engages ALL learners
.notdef Higher graduation rates for CTE Concentrators (2
credits in a pathway)
.notdef 94% overall vs. 81% district average
MS. FRAZE moved on to slide 5, "King Tech Direct Entry," and
defined "direct entry" as students having a secured slot in a
registered apprenticeship program directly out of high school.
She explained that this process is due to the district's close
relationship with its partners and requires a significant amount
of work with these partners during a student's tenure in high
school. The slide read as follows [original punctuation
provided]:
.notdef Average between 5 and 8 direct entry students each
year (.1% of CTE students)
.notdef IBEW
.notdef Carpenters
.notdef Laborers
.notdef Sheet Metal
.notdef Plumbers & Pipefitters
3:39:10 PM
MS. FRAZE explained that her proposed solution for increasing
the percentage of CTE students going into direct entry is to
expand the opportunities outside of the registered
apprenticeship programs.
MS. FRAZE directed attention to slide 6, "What we need to
expand," and paraphrased the content, which read as follows
[original punctuation provided]:
We need collaboration & partnerships through a state
supported coalition.
.notdef All stakeholders at the table (education, industry,
commerce, labor, post - secondary, etc.)
.notdef Dedicated team to advancing the work
.notdef Graduation pathways with dual credit
MS. FRAZE concluded that there are laws in place that can be
prohibitive to a youth apprenticeship program, and that it is
important to have "a lot of people at the table" talking about
the structure of the programs. She shared that other states
that have been successful in implementing these programs,
Colorado for example, have people dedicated to establishing
partnerships to expand the programs. She expressed that the
district needs people who are dedicated to helping the
industries understand more about apprenticeships and the
opportunities and benefits of these programs. She added that
graduation pathways are important to discuss as well, and that
it is vital to ensure that apprenticeship pathways are also
graduation pathways, meaning that students can utilize the
education received while on a job to count towards graduation.
She said that some of these students are learning "more advanced
math than some college kids" in these apprenticeship programs,
and that this should be recognized in the standards .
3:41:59 PM
REPRESENTATIVE MCCARTY asked Ms. Fraze how many [credit] hours
she sees a student realistically being able to obtain.
MS. FRAZE responded that it largely depends on how much of a
student's day would be dedicated to the program. She stated
that some students have more flexibility in their schedules, and
that summer hours are helpful in getting more hours towards an
apprenticeship.
REPRESENTATIVE MCCARTY followed up with a question about
concurrent enrollment, asking whether Ms. Fraze is encouraging
students to get high school education credit while getting trade
recognition and credit at the same time.
MS. FRAZE responded that yes, concurrent enrollment would be
beneficial. She added that this is similar to students taking
college classes while in high school, getting credit for both.
REPRESENTATIVE MCCARTY - using an example wherein a student is
taking classes that qualify as concurrent enrollment but the
high school already acknowledges "workability" credits - how
many hours one credit is worth and how many credits a student
take outside of school that qualify for trade.
MS. FRAZE said that the district uses the Carnegie credit unit
of 80 hours per class and that a class is worth 0.5 credits.
One full credit is worth about 160 hours. The district has what
it calls "work experience credits" which are general electives
and do not count towards any core academic credit. She added
that looking at the standards of apprenticeships and determining
whether they meet the education and academic standards is
important.
REPRESENTATIVE MCCARTY asked how many elective credits students
can get that would count towards the trade apprenticeships.
MS. FRAZE responded that the guidelines would vary by school
district, but that ASD allows students to repeat their "work
experience" so that they may get two or three credits that fall
under that category.
3:47:36 PM
REPRESENTATIVE NELSON referred to slide 2 of the presentation
and asked about the average number of apprenticeship hours that
students get throughout their time in high school.
MS. FRAZE explained that right now, ASD does not have registered
apprenticeship programs for its students, but the district does
have direct entry. She added that the district is looking at
establishing youth apprenticeship which would allow students to
earn apprenticeship hours during high school. The number of
hours that they would earn would vary depending on each
student's schedule and flexibility.
REPRESENTATIVE NELSON asked whether Ms. Fraze has a gross
estimate for the number of hours a student usually obtains that
counts towards work experience.
MS. FRAZE responded that she is unable to give an average
because it depends on the student. Many high school students
who work have a maximum number of hours they can work due to
labor laws for children regulated by the U.S. Department of
Labor.
3:50:18 PM
JONI SIMPSON, Director, Career and Technical Education,
Fairbanks North Star Borough School District, introduced her
presentation "Pre-Apprenticeship Opportunities in the Fairbanks
North Star Borough School District" and stated that she wants to
speak to the committee about some pre-apprenticeship programs
that the Fairbanks North Star School District (FNSSD) has
available. She said that the district has a direct entry
program in Fairbanks, Alaska, similar to the one Ms. Fraze
mentioned that has been around for about 10 or 11 years. She
shared that, although there was interest and students
successfully direct entered into apprenticeship programs, the
district found out a year or two into the program's existence
that there was a high attraction rate and the retention rate was
about 35 percent. She stated that she is going to share what
the district did to help change those statistics.
MS. SIMPSON moved to slide 2, "Introduction to the Trades," and
explained that the district has a partnership with the Fairbanks
Pipeline Training Center (FPTC). In partnership with FPTC, the
Carpenter's Union, IBEW, and the Plumbers and Pipefitters
[union], the district created a program called the "Introduction
to the Trades." She explained that the classes are taught at
the FPTC, which requires that students leave their high school
and work in an unfamiliar environment, work with students from
all over the district, and the teachers of the program are
directly out of the training centers for the different unions.
She added that this gives the students an idea of what it would
be like to truly enter an apprenticeship and be successful.
MS. SIMPSON proceeded to slide 3, "Industry & Union Partners"
and explained that they started with the Plumbers and
Pipefitters and Carpenters Unions and IBEW, but have since
expanded into other industries. She listed these from the
slide, which read as follows [original punctuation provided]:
• Plumbers and Pipefitters, Local 375
• IBEW, Local 1547
• Carpenters Union, Local 1243
• Operating Engineers, Local 302
• Laborers Union, Local 942
• Process Technology, University of Alaska
Fairbanks
• Alaska Works Partnerships
3:53:47 PM
MS. SIMPSON moved to slide 4, "Recruit Students," which showed
an image of an example flyer intended to recruit students. She
explained that the district's duty in the partnership with the
industries is to recruit students, and therefore they distribute
this flyer to families digitally and via hard copy to all of the
schools in the district and ensure that all CTE teachers have
them displayed in their classrooms and their shops. She an
example of a flyer that goes out to families. She shared that
the CTE teachers also are often speaking to the students about
the value of the program and the students are required to apply
for the program if they are interested. Initially the district
was hoping to get enough applications to satisfy the program and
now there is an extensive waitlist due to the perceived value of
the program. She explained that the educational materials such
as the flyer expose students to seeing people who look like them
and are successful in the programs.
MS. SIMPSON continued that the training partners set up a real
experience for the students. The FNSSD's training partners set
up their classrooms as a "real experience" for the students that
mirrors the environment in real apprenticeship programs. The
district heard from students that they struggled with the switch
from social to work environment, which is what they believe
contributed to the low retention rates, and it was not a matter
of the students not having skills. She shared that the classes
are set up to treat the students like responsible adults; there
are no excused absences, and the students have to be there every
day unless they are ill, unlike in school. The students
themselves are asked to communicate with the training
coordinator if they are ill and coordinate a way to make up
missed time. It is a real work environment where students are
required to always stay busy and on task. She acknowledged that
students might be a little bit nervous initially, but at the end
of the program, they are "walking tall." At the end of the
class, students have the opportunity to apply for direct entry
for the program of their choice. She said that the district
always has about 10-15 students "direct enter" every year. Now
it has about 70-75 percent retention, which is higher than the
adult population.
3:57:56 PM
MS. SIMPSON moved on to slide 5, "Classes," and went through the
options, which read as follows [original punctuation provided]:
Electrical
Welding
Carpentry
Laborer Academy
Heavy Equipment Maintenance
Process Technology
MS. SIMPSON reiterated that these classes involve much more than
skill building; they allow the students to learn about life and
how to be in a true working environment as well. She proceeded
to slide 6, "The Reward for Students and Industry," and stated
that the reward of the program is for the students who have
direct entered. She shared that the unions get the students
lots of "swag," and they make a big deal out of the direct enter
process.
MS. SIMPSON turned to slide 7, "Expansion..." and said that the
district wants to expand and create "a dozen more" opportunities
for its students. She agreed with Ms. Fraze that to be
successful, the district would need support for the program and
something to act as the "glue" that keeps things moving.
4:01:11 PM
REPRESENTATIVE MCCARTY asked about the percentage of students
that go into apprenticeship programs.
MS. SIMPSON responded that the district puts about 72-80
students through the Introduction to the Trades classes and
about 15 students a year direct enter per year. The district
has about 5,000 high school students. She reiterated that the
number is not due to lack of interest, it is due to capacity
because they have more interest than they do seats in the
program.
REPRESENTATIVE MCCARTY followed up and asked whether the
district has the ability to do "cohort type things" to have more
capacity, rather than in the hourly classroom manner.
MS. SIMPSON responded that the district does implement a cohort
model in its certified nursing assistant program, but still the
capacity is only about 20 students. She believes the main
takeaway is that more instructors, more facilities, more of
"everything" is needed. Even in the trade courses taking place
in professional facilities there are only about 15 seats
available at a time. The district is always looking to expand
this program, but it has not put together a plan yet.
REPRESENTATIVE MCCARTY asked what the waiting list procedure is
like and how students get into these programs.
MS. SIMPSON shared that there's an application process the
students have to go through and after they are selected, there
is a rank order for the students that are waitlisted. Letters
of recommendation are also part of the application process;
occasionally an application will with an outstanding letter of
recommendation stating that "this program will change [the
applicant's] life" will catch the attention of the district and
a district employee will call and have a conversation with the
reference. She said that the union trainers prefer that
students do not enter the program late but if someone drops out
within an appropriate amount of time, they immediately contact
the students that were on the waitlist. The district always
places senior students first because they have less time before
they are "launched into the world." It also communicates openly
about junior students regarding their chances for next year, and
encourages them to apply again.
4:07:13 PM
CO-CHAIR SPOHNHOLZ directed a question to Ms. Fraze regarding a
statistic she supplied in her presentation, asking whether the
5-7 students that direct enter into apprenticeship programs each
year refers solely to the students at King Tech High School
(KTHS) or to the entire ASD.
MS. FRAZE clarified that that number refers just to KTHS.
4:07:58 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SCHRAGE asked Ms. Simpson who bears the cost of
the CTE programs.
MS SIMPSON responded that FPTC receives a grant from the
Department of Labor & Workforce Development (DLWD) and the
center covers the cost, facilities, instructors, and materials.
The district's position is to recruit the students, to be the
liaison between parents and instructors, and to perform the
logistics behind the scenes. If the district didn't have that
money, then the program would be impossible to run.
4:09:42 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SNYDER asked Ms. Simpson whether it is correct to
assume that most of the youth apprentice programs for students
still in high school are paid.
MS. SIMPSON responded that no, the students are not paid. The
opportunities are pre-apprenticeship programs not youth
apprenticeship programs and the students earn a 0.5 elective
credit for their participation.
REPRESENTATIVE SNYDER asked whether there is any concern there
could be other high school students who may need a paycheck
after school and whether Ms. Simpson sees that as a challenge.
MS. SIMPSON responded that no, that has never come up.
CO-CHAIR FIELDS clarified for the committee that a registered
apprentice is employed and is earning a wage and a pre-
apprentice is preparing to enter a program and can be a student
that is not being paid.
4:11:18 PM
MARI SELLE, Director, Workforce Development, Alaska Primary Care
Association (APCA), directed attention to slide 2,
"Apprenticeships at APCA," and explained that the APCA is a
member organization that supports community health centers. She
shared that in 2017, APCA recognized the potential for the
registered apprenticeship model to be an advantage to their
community health centers. The organization has very remote
health centers across Alaska and these health centers need a
qualified workforce to staff the centers. The organization
partnered with DLWD to start the registered apprenticeship
program and also started providing pre-apprenticeship trainings
or Preparing Alaskans for Training in Healthcare (PATH)
academies, where they are trained in basic medical techniques as
well as receive soft skills training. She shared that the
apprenticeship program has been successful for APCA thus far.
She continued to paraphrase from the slide, which read as
follows [original punctuation provided]:
? Began in 2017
? Apprenticeship and Pre-Apprenticeship (PATH
Academies)
? Focus on Community Health Centers
? Occupations:
? Community Health Workers
? Medical Assistant
? Medical Admin Assistants
? Biller Coder Specialist
? Electronic Health Records Specialist
? Direct Support Professional (NEW)
Pharmacy Technician (Coming in 2021)
4:14:30 PM
MS. SELLE proceeded to slide 3, "Health Care Apprenticeship
Success Factors," and shared that APCA has 78 apprentices
currently, which is a "squishy" number because it includes the
apprentices that APCA is currently enrolling. She continued to
paraphrase from the slide, which read as follows [original
punctuation provided]:
? Currently have:
? 78 Apprentices
? Samuel Simmonds Hospital, Cross Road Medical
Center, Iliuliuk Family Health Services, Yukon Flats
Health Center, Kodiak CHC, Kodiak Area Native
Association, Seward Health Center, Sunshine Health
Center, Peninsula Community Health Services,
Providence Alaska Medical Center
? Willing Employers
? Distance Delivery
? Real-time classroom training
? On the Job training by community-based mentors
? Certification
? Undergraduate Certificate from APU
MS. SELLE added that she believes this program has been
successful in part due to the unique relationship that APCA has
with Alaska's community health centers as the health centers
have been willing to try this new model of employment. The
program is delivered in an online format but the classes take
place in real time. The students are simultaneously putting
into practice the information they learn in the classes, which
is a process that is monitored by a mentor that works with the
apprentice. The apprentices earn a national certification from
the National Health Career Association and certification from
the federal apprenticeship program. She concluded that they are
also able to earn an undergraduate certificate from Alaska
Pacific University (APU).
4:17:09 PM
HILTON HALLOCK, Provost, Alaska Pacific University, continued
the presentation on slide 4, "Undergraduate Certificate
Options," and explained that the Health Occupations program at
APU includes an undergraduate certificate that is aligned with
APU's registered apprenticeships, which include Clinical Medical
Assistant, Community Health Worker, Electronic Health Records
Specialist, Medical Administrative Assistant, and Billing and
Coding Specialist. She added that APU also offers an associate
degree in Health Occupation that integrates the credits of the
apprenticeships and the undergraduate certificate. She said
that the undergraduate certificate program typically lasts one
to two years depending on concentration. The academic credits
that APU awards considers both the didactic portion as well as
the instructional time that takes place during on-the-job
training. Students are typically working full-time in the
community health centers. The program was designed to include
coursework centered around the skills and concepts that are
related to the field in which the students are working. She
stated that the goal of the program is to ensure student success
while also ensuring that APU meets its own academic standards
and is supporting APCA's expectations for its apprenticeship
programs.
MS. HALLOCK proceeded to slide 5, "Continuing Degree Pathways,"
and explained that APU tries to design its programs so that it's
easy for students to move on to the next degree when they're
ready, making it easier for students who "stop in and out of
college," which she shared is very common in Alaska in
particular. She explained that if a student locks in a
certificate or an associate degree, the receiving school is more
likely to accept a student's credits and transfers. She
paraphrased from the slide, which read as follows [original
punctuation provided]:
Health Occupations Certificate ?
Billing & Coding Specialist
Medical Administrative Assistant
Electronic Health Records Specialist
Community Health Worker
Clinical Medical Assistant
Associates Degree
Associate of Applied Science
Associate of Applied Science/Community Health
Bachelor's Degree
Health Sciences (Pre-Health, Behavioral Health,
Health Care Management, Pre-Nursing)
Environmental Public Health
Counseling Psychology
Business Administration-Health Care Management
4:22:10 PM
CO-CHAIR FIELDS noted that for a long time, Alaska has forced
graduating high school seniors to make a choice between going to
college, forgoing income, and oftentimes taking on debt or
working to support themselves without an option to complete a
college degree. He opined that what is so remarkable about the
APCA and APU partnership is that it allows Alaskans to both have
a living wage job and work towards having a degree. He then
invited questions from the committee.
REPRESENTATIVE MCCARTY directed attention to slide four and
asked Ms. Hallock how many of the undergraduate certificate
programs have high school students enrolled in them.
MS. HALLOCK responded that none do because APCA requires that
students have high school degrees or GEDs.
4:23:48 PM
CO-CHAIR FIELDS asked Ms. Selle for elaboration about PATH
academies and how they link up with jobs and college pathways
upon graduation.
MS. SELLE responded that APCA's program is for adults, which
includes the PATH academy. There are similar trainings offered
by APCA for high school students, but these programs do not have
the same requirements as the adult program. She said that
especially in healthcare, it would be very difficult for anyone
under the age of 18 to find employment. She stated that APCA
has started a youth apprenticeship program to train youth 18-24
years of age.
4:25:37 PM
REPRESENTATIVE MCCARTY followed up and asked if there are
federal or state Occupational Safety and Health Administration
(OSHA) laws that prohibit training individuals under the age of
18.
MS SELLE responded that yes, there are Health Insurance
Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA) rules that must be
followed, though there may be opportunities in the human
services field for people under the age of 18 but APCA has not
explored that at this time. She shared that APCA is occupied
with expanding the apprenticeship program.
4:27:01 PM
REPRESENTATIVE NELSON asked Ms. Selle whether, due to COVID-19,
she has seen an increase in interest in the apprenticeship
programs in healthcare fields.
MS. SELLE replied that APCA's fall cohort was quite large last
fall but that it is difficult to say why it was so large. There
was a lot of shuffling that had to occur, and recently clinics
have been extraordinarily busy with vaccine rollout and most are
back to at least full capacity. She shared that APCA has seen a
small dip in its current cohort in the number of registered
apprentices that were able to sign on.
4:28:51 PM
PAM CLINE, Business Representative, International Brotherhood of
Electrical Workers (IBEW), shared that she has represented the
Mat-Su Regional Medical Center ("Mat-Su Regional") employees
since 2008 and also worked there 2000 to 2008 as a certified
pharmacy technician ("tech"). She continued that Mat-Su
Regional has had a problem recruiting operating room and sterile
processing room techs. She shared that the reason for this is
that Alaska has no schools in the state that provide education
for these jobs and so individuals are leaving the state to
receive this education and then not returning. She explained
that she was contacted by Mr. Hakala, and she sat down with
hospital management to determine what Mat-Su Regional can do to
train its own techs and keep them in Alaska. In 2017, the
hospital started a surgery tech program along with a sterile
processing tech program. At the time, there were about 350
qualified or near qualified employees at Mat-Su Regional, and so
they conducted in-house training first and had over 40
applicants for the first opening of the apprenticeship. Also in
2017 she said, she helped create the first magnetic resonance
imaging (MRI) technical program in the United States, which
required convincing trainers that they could provide online
training and that type of training would be sufficient for the
program.
MS. CLINE continued that in 2018, Mat-Su Regional Hospital
realized that the state of Alaska had an issue with not having
the capacity to properly address mental health problems and took
the steps to be able to open a behavioral health wing.
Subsequently, the hospital management came to IBEW to create a
behavioral health apprenticeship program in order to have the
staff for the new wing. At the end, the program graduated 16
behavioral health techs. Surgery techs, operation room techs,
sterile processing techs, and MRI techs have all stayed at Mat-
Su Regional.
4:33:00 PM
MS. CLINE concluded with enthusiasm for new apprenticeship
programs. She stated that if people go through pre-apprentice
programs, then they will have the qualifications to apply for
apprenticeship programs when they open up. She shared that it
was difficult to get other hospital employees who went the
college route on board with the apprenticeship program, but once
they came around it was a "huge success." She said that a
reason why the number of apprentices is small is because the
ratio of mentors to apprentices has to be 1:1. She explained
that individuals have to have to get a specific certification to
become mentors, and she gave the example of a recent MRI tech
who had to "copy [the mentor's] schedule for a year" because
there were so few mentors. She stated her belief that if
hospitals, pharmacies, etc. could be convinced that
apprenticeships work, the workers would stay in Alaska.
4:36:20 PM
RYAN ANDREW, Business Representative, International Brotherhood
of Electrical Workers (IBEW), opened with his personal
experience with registered apprenticeship. Prior to working as
a Business Representative for IBEW, he taught apprenticeship
classes through the IBEW/NECA partnership program. He shared
that he is a journeyman electrician first and foremost and owes
the opportunity he received to enter into that apprenticeship
program to King Tech High School. He took the electrical course
and was direct entered into the IBEW/NECA apprenticeship
program, which he said was a tremendous opportunity for him. He
spoke about "signing day," an event that celebrates the students
signing their apprenticeship agreements, and said that it is a
huge moment for them. He said that he agreed with Ms. Fraze
that there is room for expansion for the program and said that
IBEW plans to continue its partnership with the school district
and King Tech High School.
4:39:56 PM
CO-CHAIR FIELDS introduced former DLWD commissioner Heidi Drygas
and explained that he asked her to be present during the meeting
because she was commissioner when the APCA and APU programs
started and the Mat-Su Regional Medical Center Apprenticeship
Program started, and he thought she would be valuable in
speaking about capitalizing on these opportunities and
continuing to expand these programs.
4:40:59 PM
HEIDI DRYGAS, Attorney and Lobbyist, shared that her entire
professional career has been in the interest of advancing
Alaska's workers. Alaska has a long history of apprenticeship
programs and she shared that when she began working as
commissioner of DLWD, the state was facing steep budget cuts and
many critical workforce development funds were in danger of
getting cut. She said that the DLWD made a decision to seek as
many federal dollars as possible to continue to fund workforce
programs and policies and was committed to expanding and
elevating registered apprenticeship in Alaska. She stated that
apprenticeship in Alaska has flourished in the construction
industry in particular. Apprenticeship programs in the building
trades are managed by "joint labor and management committees,"
and she shared that they are the gold standard for model
apprenticeship programs in Alaska and across the country. The
department concentrated on expanding apprenticeship programs in
high-growth industries like healthcare, aviation, and maritime.
She continued that over the course of four years, DLWD received
more than 20 million dollars in competitive federal grant funds
to boost workforce development, and it used a large portion of
these funds to expand registered apprenticeship programs in
Alaska.
4:43:07 PM
MS. DRYGAS continued that she fears that the state is missing
opportunities to reach young people and expose them to potential
apprenticeship opportunities. She explained that studies have
shown that kids should be exposed as young as elementary school
to career opportunities, and certainly by middle school and high
school. She stated that it is important for Alaska's kids to be
exposed to many different career paths, including vocational and
registered apprenticeship paths. She stated that one of her
biggest frustrations now and when she was commissioner is the
mindset that a successful student is a student that is on a
college track. She acknowledged that college is a terrific
track for many, but it is not the track for everyone. She
expressed her frustration that when other options are not
presented to students on an equal footing with college, the
state is losing valuable opportunities to grow Alaska's skilled
workforce and provide a career pathway for Alaskans in the
vocational trades. Apprenticeship leads to careers with good
pay, benefits, and advancement opportunities. The biggest
complaint she hears from employers and young Alaskans is that
people don't know about these opportunities. She shared that on
average, apprenticeship completers earn over $300,000 more
throughout their lifetime than peers who do not complete
apprenticeships.
MS. DRYGAS concluded with the sentiment that she is glad that
the committee is discussing school to apprenticeship programs
and that it is a critical time to ensure that the state is
supporting employers who choose to use apprenticeship in
developing their workforces. She hopes to expand apprenticeship
in Alaska and to push for more college credit through
apprenticeship opportunities, such as dual credit for CTE
programs including apprenticeship. The Department of Education
and Early Development (DEED), DLWD, and the University of Alaska
all have critical roles to play in this endeavor, she said.
Over the years, the federal government has promoted registered
apprenticeship programs as the premiere path for workforce
development. She continued that the Obama and Trump
Administrations embraced apprenticeship programs, and it's clear
that the Biden Administration intends to continue this effort.
She concluded that federal programs to promote and expand
apprenticeship programs can and will benefit Alaska, but only if
the state positions itself to take advantage of the programs.
4:46:28 PM
CO-CHAIR SPOHNHOLZ asked Ms. Drygas whether she has any specific
recommendations for legislature that would help prepare for any
additional funding or opportunities coming from the federal
government.
MS. DRYGAS responded that there are certain things the
legislature can do to encourage employers to utilize
apprenticeships. She mentioned that there are bills that are
"floating around" right now about enhancing school-to-
apprenticeship opportunities in secondary school and that these
are good conversation starters, but she said that she will
reflect on that more and perhaps come back to the committee with
any other recommendations.
CO-CHAIR SPOHNHOLZ commented that there are some great
apprenticeship programs out there, but there seems to be much
more that the State of Alaska can do if the state was more
ambitious. She mentioned that although not everyone wants to go
to college, it is not an "either/or" situation because a person
can be an apprentice while attending college. She said that she
would love to see more aggressive promotion of apprenticeship
from a very young age and more ambition coming from the
University of Alaska regarding the promotion of apprenticeship
programs and opportunities.
MS. DRYGAS responded that the University of Alaska has been a
champion for expanding career and technical education and that
there was a lot of coordination involved in cooperation with the
university. She stated that she gets the impression from
interim University of Alaska President Pat Pitney that the
university is "laser focused" on workforce development and
meeting the needs of Alaska employers. She suggested that the
legislature could pass a resolution to support registered
apprenticeship, but it is mostly important to go after the
federal dollars. She shared that federal dollars were a huge
help for the department when they were facing severe budget
cuts. She speculated that there are going to be a lot more
opportunities like this for federal funding.
4:51:50 PM
REPRESENTATIVE NELSON asked Ms. Drygas about her claim that kids
in elementary school should be exposed to apprenticeship. He
asked her to clarify if that is her opinion or if she has a
source to back that up.
MS. DRYGAS recollected that she had said children should be
exposed as young as elementary school to career opportunities,
whether that is apprenticeship or any other type of career
opportunities. She knows that those studies exist and remembers
reading and reiterating that information while she was at the
department, and she stated that she can look for these studies
and would be happy to provide the committee with that
information. She said that information is anecdotal from what
she remembers from her time at the department.
4:52:58 PM
REPRESENTATIVE MCCARTY asked about Ms. Drygas' previous
recommendation about labor ability individuals are able to
procure because of their age. He noted that there are
restrictions based on age and asked for elaboration.
MS. DRYGAS deferred to John Hakala on the federal restrictions,
but noted there are age restrictions on entering apprenticeships
that restrict children under the age of 18 from working. She
said that she doesn't have these restrictions off the top of her
head but would be happy to provide those to the committee. Even
so, she said that she thinks there are some workarounds that
could be employed to ensure that young people still get exposure
to apprenticeship and other opportunities.
4:54:47 PM
MR. HAKKALA addressed Representative McCarty's question and
stated that the federal minimum age for registered
apprenticeship is 16 years, and that's what the apprenticeship
programs have to follow. He states that he always refers people
to the Alaska child labor laws which state what work can be
performed by children. If a student under 16 were to be hired
as a pre-apprentice, it would be an unpaid opportunity to teach
them on-the-job activities. He acknowledged that kids can work
before they turn 16 if they have a signature from their parents.
There is nothing in the current regulations that says that a
pre-apprentice cannot work and have a real job, but once they
come into the registered apprenticeship program, they need to be
16 years of age.
MR. HAKALA gave an example that a couple of days ago, he was
talking to a strategic director of John Deere from Iowa, a state
which has a very robust apprenticeship program starting in high
school. He stated that John Deere is the largest employer in
Iowa. He asked the director about his decision to start
working with high school students, and the director responded
that they had no choice because otherwise they would lose the
high school population as potential workers if they don't engage
the students while they are still in high school. The director
said that they are hiring high school students in school-to-
apprenticeship programs who are under 18 and doing it safely and
productively with child labor laws in mind. Mr. Hakala said
that he believes the legislature needs to come together and
create a template and opportunity to run these apprenticeship
and pre-apprenticeship programs successfully.
4:59:20 PM
REPRESENTATIVE MCCARTY asked Mr. Hakala to address the age
restriction set by (OSHA), because it seems to be that the issue
is about age rather than safety when it comes to the logistics
of hiring young workers.
MR. HAKALA responded that this is why child labor laws are so
important, and that Employment of Children Pamphlet 200:
Statutes and Regulations is the document in Alaska that refers
to this information. The pre-apprenticeship programs are safe
working environments for children under the age of 18, and
within the child labor laws children under 18 are allowed to
work in pre-apprenticeship programs where otherwise they would
not. In every pre-apprenticeship program, there is a standard
related to the safety and training of the apprentice on the job,
and so it is built into the training program as part of the
written and practice plan.
REPRESENTATIVE MCCARTY commented that higher education seems to
be considered solely a college track and yet he deems higher
education as any education that leads to a great career. He
expressed his hope that that term can be expanded upon.
5:01:25 PM
REPRESENTATIVE KAUFMAN asked Mr. Hakala whether there is a
matrix that shows what the funding looks like regarding the
interface between schools and other entities. He asked whether
some of the funding is extracted from typical high school
funding or is supplemental.
MR. HAKKALA responded that funding is part of his challenge in
promoting registered apprenticeship. His office does not
provide funding, but he still works to direct program sponsors
to employers and intermediaries. There are larger federal
investments that have been offered in the last five or ten years
that he said the state needs to anticipate. Generally, he said,
it is a combination of dollars. Out of the two federal grants,
the state apprenticeship expansion grant and the American
Apprenticeship Initiative, he believes that there were some
grants that went unutilized. He recommended that the state be
careful in allocating and spending these federal dollars, but
that the state should use these grants to fund apprenticeship
programs. He concluded that there needs to be organization
created to fund these programs.
REPRESENTATIVE KAUFMAN stated that he might be the only person
present who is certified by the American Welding Society and can
relate to trades. He said he sees the funding as a complicated
matrix of different entities and would like to see more clarity.
MR. HAKALA responded that many programs are self-funded, and
John Deere acknowledged this and built that pay-for-play aspect
of funding into its business model to make it sustainable for
long-term success.
5:05:45 PM
CO-CHAIR FIELDS asked whether Ms. Fraze or Ms. Simpson would
like to talk about Perkins grants and how those support the CTE
course.
MS. SIMPSON responded that FNSSD uses Perkins grants to support
the variety of career pathways. She mused that apprenticeships
and pre-apprenticeships could be written into the district's
plans for the grants and she thinks that the CTE department
should be in on conversations like this. She stated that it's
important to look at the high needs of the labor market and do
things with intentionality.
5:08:01 PM
MS. FRAZE added that one of the challenges with Perkins grant
funds in Alaska is that some of the districts get as little as
$15,000. She shared that it is assumed that Perkins grants are
intended to help start programs but that over time, the funds
should be coming from general funds, not the grants. She said
that making partnerships with employers and finding the "John
Deere of Alaska" can help industries understand apprenticeships.
She explained that Perkins monies can be very limited for school
districts.
5:09:17 PM
CO-CHAIR FIELDS thanked the testifiers and expressed his hope
that the committee can see some legislation on apprenticeships
soon.
5:09:35 PM
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the House
Labor and Commerce Standing Committee meeting was adjourned at
5:10 p.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| APCA APU Apprenticeship PowerPoint 2.24.21.pdf |
HL&C 2/24/2021 3:15:00 PM |
|
| Youth Apprenticeship Powerpoint 2.24.21.pdf |
HL&C 2/24/2021 3:15:00 PM |
|
| ASD CTE PowerPoint 2.24.21.pdf |
HL&C 2/24/2021 3:15:00 PM |
|
| Presenter List 2.24.21.pdf |
HL&C 2/24/2021 3:15:00 PM |
|
| Pre-Apprenticeship Opportunities in FNSBSD 2.24.21.pdf |
HL&C 2/24/2021 3:15:00 PM |