Keeping Alaskans in Alaska Jobs: Workforce training for the next generation.

• Author: Shipe, O'Hara
• Position: EDUCATION

It is estimated that by 2020, almost 50 percent of workers will be comprised of Millennials, making it the largest segment of the US workforce. This should come as little surprise considering the April 2016 US Census Bureau report that revealed Millennials officially surpassed Baby Boomers as the nation's largest living generation. What may come as a surprise is that in Alaska's industry-driven economy, few Millennials occupy positions within the state's key industries.

In its recent Millennial Workforce Development Report, which analyzed data from JobsEq, the Anchorage Economic Development Corporation (AEDC) found that only 16.6 percent of the Anchorage workforce between the ages of 16 and 44 are employed in "blue-collar" jobs. By contrast, AEDC estimates that roughly 48 percent are employed in traditional "white-collar" positions. Although the report only accounts for about 1 percent of the Anchorage Millennial population and the percentage of "white-collar" workers may be inflated, the numbers are nonetheless significant. With major new oil and gas plays, there is some concern that the Millennial workforce may very well be the state's canary in the mine, signaling trouble ahead for the employers of an aging workforce.

This is not the first time Alaska has found itself in this situation. In 1999, the Alaska oil and gas industry realized that 55 percent of its highly trained workforce--specifically process technicians--were eligible for retirement.

"Historically, when the pipeline began operating, it was kind of a 'learn on the job' type of experience, but it had become much more technical than that. The oil and gas companies had no real stream of new incoming workers to fill those highly skilled positions," explains Alaska Process Industry Careers Consortium (APICC) Executive Director Cari-Ann Carty. "So, in partnership with educators, trainers, community members, and government agencies, these industry employers established APICC to create, connect, and enhance the quality of training and education programs available in Alaska."

APICC

Traditionally, APICC focused its efforts on establishing a process technology degree program and scholarship fund. The two-year degree program is marketed to high-school graduates who show an aptitude for math and science. According to Carty, the program boasts astronomical job placement numbers, with BP filling every one of its entry level technician positions with program graduates. Currently, the program, which is affiliated with the North American Process Technology Alliance (NAPTA), is facilitated through the Kenai Peninsula College and the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

While the process...