Legislature(2023 - 2024)BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)
01/27/2023 01:30 PM Senate LABOR & COMMERCE
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| Presentation(s): Alaska Vocational Technical Center | |
| Presentation(s): Northwestern Alaska Career and Technical Center | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
SENATE LABOR AND COMMERCE STANDING COMMITTEE
January 27, 2023
1:30 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Senator Jesse Bjorkman, Chair
Senator Click Bishop, Vice Chair
Senator Kelly Merrick
Senator Forrest Dunbar
MEMBERS ABSENT
Senator Elvi Gray-Jackson
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
PRESENTATION(S): ALASKA VOCATIONAL TECHNICAL CENTER
- HEARD
PRESENTATION(S): NORTHWESTERN ALASKA CAREER AND TECHNICAL CENTER
- HEARD
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
No previous action to record
WITNESS REGISTER
CATHERINE LECOMPTE, Director
Alaska Vocational Technical Center (AVTEC)
Seward, Alaska
Department of Labor and Workforce Development (DOLWD)
POSITION STATEMENT: Presented an overview of AVTEC, spoke to
workforce challenges and solutions, and answered questions.
DOUGLAS WALRATH, Director
Northwestern Alaska Career and Technical Center
Nome, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Presented an overview of (NACTEC), spoke to
workforce challenges and solutions, and answered questions.
ACTION NARRATIVE
1:30:23 PM
CHAIR JESSE BJORKMAN called the Senate Labor and Commerce
Standing Committee meeting to order at 1:30 p.m. Present at the
call to order were Senators Dunbar, Bishop, Merrick, and Chair
Bjorkman.
^PRESENTATION(S): Alaska Vocational Technical Center
PRESENTATION(S): Alaska Vocational Technical Center
1:31:00 PM
CHAIR BJORKMAN announced the committee would continue exploring
workforce issues in Alaska. He said AVTEC and NACTEC
representatives are present to discuss workforce challenges and
what their centers are doing to provide Alaskans with the
skills, tools, and abilities to enter the workforce. He invited
Ms. Lecompte to put herself on the record and begin her
presentation.
1:32:05 PM
CATHERINE LECOMPTE, Director, Alaska Vocational Technical Center
(AVTEC), Seward, Alaska, Department of Labor and Workforce
Development (DOLWD), said she would present an overview of
AVTEC, respond to Senator Bishop's request for a ten-year
lookback on enrollments, address the emerging needs of Alaska's
workforce, and speak to workforce training.
1:32:50 PM
MS. LECOMPTE reviewed slide 2, About Alaska Vocational Technical
Center (AVTEC):
- A division of the Department of Labor and Workforce
Development.
MS. LECOMPTE expressed her belief that Alaska is unique in that
no other state in the union has a training center owned and
operated by an agency of the state. She said AVTEC has a great
relationship with the department, and all divisions work well
together and help each other perform duties to serve Alaskans.
- Fifty years delivering training to Alaskans.
- Accredited twenty-five years through the Council on
Occupational Education.
- Serving Alaskans from 120 communities
1:34:00 PM
MS. LECOMPTE spoke in detail to slide 3, Alaska Vocational
Technical Center (AVTEC). AVTEC's mission is to deliver
flexible, affordable workforce training responsive to the
dynamic needs of business and industry that serve Alaska's
diverse communities. Student ages range from 18 to 70, but most
are 18 to 24. A demographic shift shows more students enter
AVTEC after high school. She noted the center continues to serve
adult learners who need additional skills, upskilling, or a new
set of skills, reskilling. Adult learners cannot always pull up
stakes to relocate to AVTEC, so AVTEC plans to expand training
outside Seward. She will speak about the expansion plans later
in the presentation. One of AVTEC's strengths is its tight
connection with employers. She said that the center is
responsive to employer needs. A career development counselor
keeps in touch with students, ensuring they are gainfully
employed in a field related to their area of training for up to
one year after completion. She announced the center's completion
rate is brag-worthy, with over 90 percent completion in FY22;
over 92 percent of those that completed were employed in their
area of training in FY21. Slide 3 read:
- Provides relevant workforce training to prepare
Alaskans for entry into and advancement in their
chosen career field.
- Affordable training in less than one year; applied
technical skills and good work habits.
- AVTEC's FY22 completion rate was over 90%, and 92%
of FY21 completers were employed in their area of
training.
1:35:39 PM
MS. LECOMPTE chronicled slide 4, Occupational Training Programs.
She recommended using the quick response (QR) code on the slide
for full details of AVTEC Programs. She listed AVTEC's nine
occupational training programs and indicated there was also an
Alaska Maritime Training Center in Seward. The nine programs run
anywhere from 90 to 180 days, depending on the program. The
classes occur in a workplace simulation, meaning students get a
sense of what it is like to get up and get to work on time, go
to lunch and return to work on time and be ready to work at the
prescribed time, as opposed to arriving work, pouring a cup of
coffee, hanging your coat, and settling in for the morning. This
training center requires the student to be at their workstation
and ready to go at 8:30 a.m. Many classes run as late as 4:30
p.m. Students must call in to miss class if they are ill or for
any other reason they must call in. Students are graded on
punctuality, attendance, and their ability to be good employees.
Students get the opportunity to build those skills at AVTEC,
preparing them to enter the workforce with solid skill sets.
1:36:57 PM
MS. LECOMPTE expounded on slide 5, stating the Alaska Maritime
Training Center has over 40 United States Coast Guard (USCG)
approved courses offered in Seward. She said AVTEC offers
advanced training online, which is new. Students are eligible to
start in high school with the Young Mariner Program,
Introduction to Navigational Skills. Students have become
captains through AVTEC training and upgrading, earning their
licenses and moving up the career ladder. The training is
similar to Cal Maritime, Piney Point, or Kings Point four-year
academies, where students come out working as 2nd or 3rd mates.
AVTEC is similar to these academies. Many AVTEC students
participate in the "earn and learn" model, which takes a little
longer to complete. She talked about the AVTEC simulation room,
where participants get to pilot a tug, a barge, or a polar
tanker. This is a valuable training tool for the industry.
Pilots and captains train on these simulators, plug in new dock
prototypes, and practice docking to determine if the new dock
construction will work. It is a beneficial tool for research and
training. USCG prefers training occur onboard vessels, but some
simulator training is USCG approved. She invited the committee
to try out the simulator.
MS. LECOMPTE said slide 6 details AVTEC's partnership with the
University of Alaska (UA). One detail to remember about AVTEC is
that it is not a "stand-alone" facility; it works with other
postsecondary providers. NACTEC and the university are excellent
partners, especially in the maritime education sector. Alaska
Maritime Education Consortium (AMEC) was created a year and a
half ago. The consortium intends to ensure the Alaska maritime
workforce is filled with and supported by Alaskans. AVTEC joined
forces with other states' postsecondary maritime providers to
ensure Alaska can deliver maritime training statewide.
1:40:25 PM
MS. LECOMPTE said the charts on slides 7 through 12 respond to
Senator Bishop's request for a 10-year look back in AVTEC
enrollments. She explained these slides collectively, hitting
the highlights, so the numbers on the charts are better
understood.
MS. LECOMPTE said that on slide 7, the red bar represents the
long-term programs, the blue bar represents maritime programs,
and the green bar represents total enrollment. The long-term
program enrollment from FY2012 to FY2016 was due solely to the
health campus in Anchorage. AVTEC collaborated with Cook Inlet
Tribal Council (CTIC) to offer certified nursing assistant
(CNA), licensed practical nurse (LPN), and registered nurse (RN)
programs. She said a perfect storm happened, causing a
substantial decline in enrollments. The first storm reduced
AVTEC's budget, then grant funds ran out. No sustainability plan
was in place; the health programs were taught out, reaching the
tail end by FY17. The health campus program closed, and the
program no longer exists.
MS. LECOMPTE said reduced enrollments and budgets affected other
programs and resulted in eliminating a chef in the culinary
program. The construction, plumbing, heating, refrigeration, and
culinary programs all had to go to half-year to match the budget
with the enrollments. The economy was fairly good then,
unemployment was low, and it was pre-pandemic. She said that
when people are working, they are not interested in receiving
training at a community college training center. This means that
courses were not in high demand because people were working.
1:44:01 PM
MS. LECOMPTE said that the declining enrollment trajectory
continued to FY19 when AVTEC sought alternative ways to serve
Alaskans. Studying at the Seward residential training center was
not meeting the needs of people who could not pack up and move
to Seward, but who wanted and needed training. In response to
this need, AVTEC put together short courses, extracting self-
contained, small modules from long courses. The short courses
included modules like building stairs, putting up sheetrock, and
laying foundations. AVTEC was ready to take these modules on the
road, but COVID hit. AVTEC had to shut down, send student home
in FY20, and figure out how to get them back to finish their
training. Staff initially thought AVTEC would reopen in a couple
of weeks, but a couple of weeks turned into a couple of months
and then a couple of years. AVTEC was able to open at half-
capacity in FY21, and students did not share a bathroom due to
health and safety concerns. The dorms have jack and jill
bathroom facilities. AVTEC was ready to open in FY22.
Unfortunately, five teachers quit, leaving the center
understaffed and unable to operate at capacity.
MS. LECOMPTE said it is now FY23, AVTEC has a full complement of
instructors and is ready to launch its customized training in
short courses with full student enrollment. She recommended
going through the slides to see the story unfold in all the
different programs. She directed attention to slide 11, Energy &
Building Trades. The green bar represents AVTEC's most recent
short course model for 2022. The green represents a six-week
facilities maintenance/construction program in collaboration
with Weidner Group and other employers. It meets the needs of
someone working in a facilities maintenance role who needs to
know a little bit about many things. If the person is interested
in learning more, AVTEC is available for the full program. The
short model gives an individual the skills to be an effective
facilities maintenance service worker.
1:47:29 PM
MS. LECOMPTE shared two examples of businesses that AVTEC
partnered with to create customized programs that met the
businesses' staffing goals. One was a partnership with Bristol
Bay Native Corporation. An employer needed entry-level
construction workers trained in confined space and
lockout/tagout and who had OSHA training. Bristol Bay Native
Corporation used its Department of Labor and Workforce
Development (DOLWD) STEP grant to offer this training in
collaboration with AVTEC. The center supplied the instructors
and used the Dillingham University construction lab. Two weeks
of intensive construction training prepared eight local workers
to build tiny homes in the villages. She wants to replicate this
model in other places. This was a partnership between a number
of different agencies. Another customized program was with
Trident Seafoods. Trident made a customized selection of six-
week short courses from AVTEC's menu for six of its incumbent
workers. The workers received their customized training to skill
up in areas specifically selected by Trident, and they were
trained on-site at the Seward campus. She said AVTEC is ready to
launch the short courses in FY23 and that it will serve Alaska
well.
1:49:51 PM
MS. LECOMPTE pointed out a picture of students from the Alaska
Military Youth Academy on slide 13. The high school teaches the
Introduction to Nautical Skills, which is an intensive [60-hour]
Maritime Program course offered to high school students. AVTEC
sent an instructor to the Military Academy to teach the
intensive maritime training course. This photo depicts a part of
their survival training; it requires students to don survival
suits, learn to float, and survive as a team. Students
interested in pursuing a maritime career may apply for funds
through a Perkins Grant which will pay for basic training. Basic
training will see students through to the USCG system, ready to
work on a tug, a barge, or a fishing vessel, or a ship.
1:51:07 PM
MS. LECOMPTE advanced to slide 14, Alternative Specialty
Training. AVTEC offers related technical instruction for
apprentices in construction and healthcare. The apprenticeship
program has been around for 20 years for construction, but the
addition of healthcare is recent. Related technical instruction
is accessed online; it is available whether the apprenticeship
program is in plumbing, electrical, or drywall.
MS. LECOMPTE talked about specialty training courses offered at
the center. Bus driver training has been offered for 20 years.
AVTEC trains the trainers; the trainers return home to teach bus
drivers in their districts. The nautical skills course. A new
program is an apprenticeship in information technology (IT)
networking, CompTIA A+, which launched this year. AVTEC is a
multi-employer sponsor with four apprenticeships; two completed
their program, and two are still in the program. AVTEC focuses
on cross-cutting skill development, which makes the trainee's
skill set applicable to many industries rather than just one. IT
networking is the best example of this. Everybody has computers
and networks and needs help troubleshooting. This apprenticeship
model allows someone employed to get formal training without
leaving their job or community. It gets them into a pay scale
that advances them throughout the apprenticeship program.
MS. LECOMPTE drew attention to the "Senior Year to Career"
graphic. She said AVTEC is not a credit-based school. AVTEC is a
clock-hour school, and it is difficult to meld credit-based
students into a clock-hour-based system. However, AVTEC made an
exception to its admission policy for credit-based students.
Previously, the admission policy required students to be 18 and
have a high school diploma, but that policy was relaxed to
accept students who:
- are in high school,
- are 17 years old,
- have earned all their credits for graduation but have not
received their diplomas, and
- want to start their vocational training.
AVTEC enrolled local high school students in the welding program
in January because they finished high school and were waiting to
graduate. AVTEC prefers students finish all high school credits
before enrollment. AVTEC discourages students who are one class
away from graduation but will accept them if the class can be
completed online. Administrators find students become engrossed
in their coursework at AVTEC and do not make time to finish
their high school coursework. This program has not had a lot of
enrollments, but it is increasing each year as students learn
about it. It is a good fit for homeschooled students; they tend
to finish early, and they are eligible to use their allocation
of education funds to get started at AVTEC.
1:55:14 PM
MS. LECOMPTE advanced to slide 15, which showed pictures of new
AVTEC training programs. The image in the upper left-hand corner
depicts facilities and building maintenance. The upper right-
hand corner is a photo of the new industrial machine and
mechanic training class focusing on machining, precision
measurement tools, layout, blueprint reading, CAD, 3-D printing,
quality control, and basic welding. This is another example of a
cross-cutting skillset offered at AVTEC. The picture in the
lower right-hand corner shows a student enrolled in the 6-week
business office skills class. The business office skills module
is offered as a hybrid course, online for asynchronous study and
in-person classroom study. The topics cover business
foundations, entrepreneurial and small business skills, project
management, financial literacy, and personal leadership
development. This module will be online in the fall and offered
to individuals working in offices or wanting to start a
business. The picture in the lower left-hand corner depicts
Yamaha training. This was a collaboration with the university
under the Alaska Maritime Education Consortium project and now
with the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA)-Kenai Peninsula
College. She reported that a marine electronics expert was hired
today. She expressed excitement to stand the Yamaha program up
with this new instructor.
1:57:33 PM
SENATOR MERRICK asked about the fee structure at AVTEC.
MS. LECOMPTE answered that the fee structure is per term for the
long-term programs listed on slide 4:
- $2400 90-day tuition
- $4800 two-term tuition
- $350 one-time technology fee for access to the
Internet/network.
- Fees for student services: sauna, ceramics lab, fitness
center, gym, and rock wall.
- Fees for books, supplies, and consumables vary depending
on the area of study.
1:59:18 PM
SENATOR DUNBAR asked two questions. First, the state expects to
receive a lot of federal Bipartisan Infrastructure money, and
with it, the state will need more skilled labor. He asked what
AVTEC's enrollment constraints are. He asked whether AVTEC could
expand to create more skilled tradespeople in the coming years.
Second, he inquired about AVTEC's relationship with trade unions
and whether a path exists for students to move from AVTEC right
into a trade union or union apprenticeship.
MS. LECOMPTE responded to the first question, stating vocational
and technical education differs from an English class that can
be held in a lecture hall with a 100-student capacity. AVTEC has
12 welding booths. Classes start in August and January and can
accommodate about 20 welders. Welding is just an example, but
the principle applies to all long-term programs at AVTEC. She
said capacity is limited by capital investments, noting that
many investments have been made at AVTEC. She mentioned that a
brand-new diesel, heavy technology lab, and other infrastructure
were built with investments. The investments are finite, so that
is why AVTEC seeks to work in tandem with other postsecondary
providers. She cited the AVTEC and Bristol Bay Native
Corporation partnership as an example of an effective alliance.
She said the Bristol Bay campus lab was empty because it did not
have an instructor; she noted that finding career and technical
education instructors is challenging. The Bristol Bay Native
Corporation recruited students, pulled in an employer that
needed houses built, and forged a coalition with AVTEC. AVTEC
trained the students from that region using the Bristol Bay
campus. She said AVTEC needs to form more coalitions like this.
AVTEC seeks more partnerships like Yamaha and the UAA Community
and Technical College (CTC). She noted that AVTEC has a
relationship with the UA Ketchikan campus for maritime training.
Postsecondary providers need to figure out how to collaborate,
share resources and experts, and deliver training to all regions
of the state. She expressed her opinion that it will take a
joint effort from postsecondary education providers to meet the
upcoming demand for skilled labor. The problem is that training
centers either have the facility or the instructor. Schools must
work together collectively and collaboratively to get teachers
in the classroom and training students to meet labor needs.
2:03:41 PM
MS. LECOMPTE responded to Senator Dunbar's second question,
stating AVTEC works closely with unions. She said that AVTEC had
a very tight relationship with Ironworkers, Plumbing and
Pipefitters, and IBEW in the past. AVTEC had an articulation
agreement with IBEW that allowed students exiting AVTEC's
electricity program to receive 1,000 hours towards their
apprenticeship. She expressed a wish to renew that relationship;
it's an opportunity for the students. She listed several reasons
a trade union may not have an open pathway for AVTEC students
exiting their programs. She said paths between trade unions and
AVTEC form a great relationship because it gives students a leg
up. Students start in one place, take what was learned, and
stack it in the next place. Whether it be a union or whether it
be as an apprenticeship on the job. She said AVTEC works very
closely with unions. I just hired an AVTEC graduate who
graduated ten years ago from the welding program. He was in the
pipefitters union and is now back at AVTEC teaching.
2:05:16 PM
SENATOR BISHOP asked if there are plans to bring back LPN, CNA,
and RN programs.
MS. LECOMPTE answered that it is difficult to say for certain,
but probably. AVTEC plans to bring back a CNA program in
collaboration with the Covey Academy in Anchorage. Providence
Alaska Medical Center and other healthcare providers shifted to
standing up their own in-house training. She said that it was
her understanding the reason the health campus in Anchorage was
so successful previously was that it had grant funds to stand it
up; it had resources to support it. She said research has begun
to bring back a health campus, and research needs to be
conducted to determine demand and interest in partnering. She
emphasized that the question comes down to resources. She
apologized for the inconclusive answer.
SENATOR BISHOP responded that is fine. He said he had a little
hand in starting the RN program with Fred Esposito, the director
of AVTEC, back then.
2:08:08 PM
SENATOR BJORKMAN commented on the excitement surrounding the
Yamaha outboard program. He asked to hear a little bit about the
Yamaha program and the opportunities that it provides.
MS. LECOMPTE said funds were allocated to the university for the
Fisheries, Seafood, and Maritime Initiative. Part of those funds
was allocated to the Alaska Maritime Education Consortium to
stand up a Yamaha training program. This included setting up a
"train the trainer" center at the Prince William Sound College
(PWSC), and the expansion for this facility is underway. AVTEC
gave PWSC some money to give the project a boost.
MS. LECOMPTE explained that three satellite Yamaha outboard
training centers are planned, one in Ketchikan, one in
Dillingham, and one yet to be determined. AVTEC has three years
to spend the funds. AVTEC secured funding and got an instructor
and some equipment to start a program too. Students will get a
chance to work on engines from 9 horsepower to 250 horsepower.
MS. LECOMPTE said Homer wanted a program too. It made sense to
put a program in Soldotna since the instructor-coordinator lives
in Soldotna. Students from Homer, Seward, and other areas around
the state can reside in Soldotna housing. There was an idea to
get a big toy hauler to take Yamaha outboard training on the
road, hauling it around the state to conduct classes. That's a
big dream. To start, AVTEC will have satellite programs, and the
main training program will be in Prince William Sound.
2:11:10 PM
SENATOR BJORKMAN commented on housing issues across the state.
He asked if AVTEC had difficulty finding housing for students
and staff in Seward.
MS. LECOMPTE answered yes, but AVTEC has the William E. Dunham
Hall dormitory, which houses 128 students, and the Fourth Avenue
dormitory, which houses 48 students. She said three apartment
complexes have one-bedroom to four-bedroom units. All of those
accommodations are at capacity. One of those units is a 4-plex
set aside to rent to incoming staff until they find alternative
accommodations. A person has to hang around and get the word out
to find a place to live in Seward. By the time a place is posted
online, it's gone. AVTEC student housing is full, but it's not a
problem yet.
CHAIR BJORKMAN said the committee welcomes the opportunity to
work with AVTEC in meeting the mission of workforce development
and partnering with businesses and industry to generate skilled
workers to move Alaska's economy forward. The legislature is
interested in doing this. He said to let the committee know what
it can do to help meet the mission. The committee will do its
best to make it happen.
2:13:45 PM
At ease.
^PRESENTATION(S): Northwestern Alaska Career and Technical
Center
PRESENTATION(S): Northwestern Alaska Career and Technical Center
2:14:32 PM
CHAIR BJORKMAN reconvened the meeting and asked Mr. Walrath of
Northwestern Alaska Career and Technical Center to put himself
on the record.
2:14:42 PM
DOUGLAS WALRATH, Director, Northwestern Alaska Career and
Technical Center, Nome, Alaska, presented an overview of
(NACTEC), spoke to workforce challenges and solutions, and
answered questions. He said he is joining the meeting from Nome
Beltz High School and that it warms his heart that the Labor and
Commerce Committee is meeting in the Beltz Room of the Capitol
Building.
MR. WALRATH began the slide presentation, stating NACTEC is a
partnership between the Nome, Nome public schools, and the
Bering Strait School District. NACTEC is in its 20th year of
operation. State funds from the Department of Education and
Early Development (DEED) and the Department of Labor and
Workforce Development (DOLWD) support NACTEC. In the upper
right-hand corner, a map shows over 50 rural villages NACTEC
served over the past 20 years, but predominately, the center
serves the population in the Bering Strait region. That region
includes everything from the Seward Peninsula as far north as
Shismaref on the Chukchi Sea, as far west as Diomede Island in
the middle of the Bering Strait, Gambell and Savoonga on St.
Lawrence Island in the Bering Sea, St. Michael, Stebbins, and
from where the Iditarod mushers come in at Unalakleet and loop
around Norton Sound. NACTEC has a two-week, variable-term
residential programming primarily. Students pull out of their
high school classes, travel to Nome for a two-week intensive
career and technical education, and then return home to their
regular studies.
2:17:52 PM
MR. WALRATH advanced to slide 2, stating NACTEC has a workforce
development mission that aligns training with Alaska's priority
industries. He reviewed slide 2:
Workforce Development Mission:
• NACTEC delivers variable term (2-4 week intensive
formats) residential CTE programs aligning with
priority industries: Healthcare, Transportation,
Construction, Hospitality & Tourism, Seafood
Harvesting & Processing, Natural Resource
Development.
• DMV 3rd Party Examiner/Approved D.E. School
MR. WALRATH said that NACTEC is a Division of Motor Vehicles
(DMV) approved, noncommercial driving school and third-party
examiner for road tests. Most students from remote villages do
not have access to vehicles or training, so getting a license
along with a high school diploma is essential for employment
purposes.
• AVTEC Maritime: USCG certified training
(certifications)
2:18:45 PM
MR. WALRATH said NACTEC had enjoyed a partnership with AVTEC
since 2017. There is USCG approval to deliver certificated
training programs in Nome through AVTEC. The NACTEC classroom
and city of Nome pool are approved training locations. An
instructor from Seward traveled to Nome to offer maritime
training in December. Three-quarters of that training is
provided in Nome, everything except the fire training portion.
NACTEC will continue with that same population of students down
to AVTEC in April to complete the certificated training. It's a
great program and partnership. It provides the students the
opportunity to live in the dorms at AVTEC. It's an opportunity
for high school students to lose the fear of the unknown and to
increase the likelihood of their success in the future.
• UAF-CTC: FAA approval Aviation Maintenance (dual
credit)
• Healthcare: HLTH 105 to PCA/CNA/Health Aide
MR. WALRATH said healthcare is probably the most developed
strand. NACTEC offers, in partnership with UAF Northwest Campus,
Norton Sound Health Corporation, and Kawerak, Inc., a CNA
course. NACTEC has offered it for 20 years since its inception.
The course begins with Health 105, an Introduction to Health
Field, and exposes the students to health careers. Graduating
seniors are targeted for training. They walk the stage at
graduation, and a week later, those students are at NACTEC for
personal care attendant (PCA), CNA, or health aide training. PCA
and the health aide training are village-based employment
positions. The CNA requires moving to Nome.
2:21:23 PM
MR. WALRATH advanced to slide 3, stating NACTEC aligns career
and technical education training (CTE) with workforce
development needs. A few big topics in Nome include a
congressional appropriation for over $600 million to construct a
deep draft port. A workforce development summit was held in Nome
to prepare for the workforce needs of that project. Nome has a
population of 3,700 citizens. Construction is scheduled to begin
in 2024. In the next few years 800 people are expected to work
on that project. That is huge for Nome. Another project is
Graphite Creek, designated as high priority status in 2021.
Graphite Creek is located 40 miles from Nome. Graphite is
important for battery production. The principal amount of
graphite in the world comes from China. This is an opportunity
to reduce dependency on foreign minerals. Production could start
as soon as 2027 or 2030.
MR. WALRATH highlighted some of NACTEC's training programs in
picture format on slides 4 and 5. He explained the pictures were
taken from a training program this past October:
- A driver's education program.
- A full-motion-based truck driving simulator. He said the
simulator allows the driver to choose from a bus, a semi, a
concrete truck, or a snowplow.
- The heavy equipment simulator center. NACTEC has nearly a
million-dollar, full-motion-based simulator center supported
almost exclusively by business and industry contributions using
the Alaska education tax credit program. NACTEC has a bunch of
wonderful local partners that allow students to use their heavy
equipment to experience what it feels like move some dirt or
grade a road.
2:24:52 PM
MR. WALRATH said slide 5 takes a pictorial look at NACTEC's
Fisheries/Seafood/Maritime Industries strand. It shows:
- Swimming training, which begins every morning in the city of
Nome pool. Almost all NACTEC's students live on cold water, and
there is a high death rate on the water in this region.
Learning to swim is a life skill that is increasingly becoming
important for future employment opportunities.
- Emergency training. These students are practicing a formation
that can be spotted from the air if the ship were abandoned.
- Scuba training. It is difficult to find a population of
students with the skill set to participate in this course.
- Fisheries and Seafood Industries course. NACTEC does an
egg-take project on the Snake River. This photo was taken a
couple of miles from the student dormitory. He said the
dormitory houses 26 students, which is NACTEC's capacity during
training programs. The students get to work with biologists
from the Norton Sound Economic Development Corporation and
Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) to learn about
careers through hands-on, real-world training.
2:26:39 PM
MR. WALRATH reviewed slide 6 to explain some of NACTEC's
challenges and issues:
• Nome Housing shortage/Utilities
• Heating Fuel $7.20/gallon
• Certified Teachers shortage
• Rural Services DMV Closure
• DEED Residential Stipends
• Flat funded since FY15
• Alaska Education Tax Credit
2:29:57 PM
MR. WALRATH reviewed slide 7, Alaska Education Tax Credit (ETC).
He listed these NACTEC partners: Trident Seafoods, American
Seafoods, Glacier Fish Company, At-Sea Processors Association,
Norton Sound Economic Development Corporation, and Bering
Straits Native Corporation. These organizations have been
NACTEC's partners for ten or more years and have contributed
$1.5 million or more to programs since FY10. He listed the
various types of tax credits and a little bit about how tax
credits work. NACTEC works aggressively to secure business and
industry partnerships.
2:33:08 PM
MR. WALRATH summarized the impacts of legislative changes to the
Alaska Education Tax Credit on slide 8:
• ETC: Business/Industry less Education Contributions
MR. WALRATH said NACTEC had seen fewer business and industry
contributions. It's not all doom and gloom because the decrease
in business and industry contributions was offset by a larger
amount of available federal dollars. He drew attention to the
change because NACNEC found the ETC of great value.
• Workforce shortage (Visa process)
MR. WALRATH said the Bering Strait School District travels far
and wide in the recruitment season. Teachers' contracts are
offered earlier and earlier. There is an increasingly large
number of teachers coming in on a VISA process, many from the
Philippines.
• Cost of Living: Housing, utilities
2:34:58 PM
MR. WALRATH said he does not claim to have all the answers but
offered these solutions on slide 9:
• Teacher Licensure:
• Lifetime Certificates Other States
• DEED Boarding School Stipends
• Statutory funding increase
• Rural Services
• DMV Business Partner Contracts
• 3 or 5 year renewal process
• Power Cost Equalization (PCE)
2:37:29 PM
SENATOR BISHOP said kudos to Mr. Walrath. He said to keep up the
good work.
2:37:58 PM
CHAIR BJORKMAN asked Mr. Walrath to explain more about the
change to the Alaska Education Tax Credit program and how that
caused a decrease in partnerships between the industry and
NACNEC.
2:38:15 PM
MR. WALRATH said the legislation change cost the partners who
contributed. He said the limit was $5 million and was cut back
to $1 million. NACTEC was fortunate to have a number of partners
step forward to make contributions totaling $300,000. This is a
significant contribution to a program the size of NACTEC, which
is now $2.5 million. A $300,000 contribution cost the partners
$50,000 to make. The same contribution now costs $150,000 to
claim a $150,000 credit instead of a $250,000 credit with a
$50,000 out-of-pocket contribution. The ETC program was
wonderful for NACNEC, and at the time, NACNEC built a full-
motion-based, 8-machine, heavy equipment simulator center. He
believed that nearly all the contributions came from the Alaska
Education Tax Credit program. NACNEC shopped around rather
widely when that opportunity came up. Around that time that oil
production was decreasing, and the price per barrel was
decreasing. Necessity is the mother of invention, and it was
clear that NACNEC needed to go out and aggressively pursuing
that.
2:40:12 PM
SENATOR BJORKMAN thanked Ms. LeCompte and Mr. Walrath. The
committee stands ready to support both centers in their mission
and wants to ensure they have the resources needed to train
workers to meet industry needs.
2:41:03 PM
There being no further business to come before the committee,
Chair Bjorkman adjourned the Senate Labor and Commerce Standing
Committee meeting at 2:41 p.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| 1.27.23 AVTEC Presentation .pdf |
SL&C 1/27/2023 1:30:00 PM |
AVTEC Presentation to SL&C |
| 01.27.23 NACTEC Presentation.pdf |
SL&C 1/27/2023 1:30:00 PM |
NACTEC Presentation to SL&C |