Workers, not robots: human resource offices gain helping hand.

AuthorKlouda, Naomi
PositionWORKFORCE TRAINING

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

For those entering the human resource field, labor law and employee compensation take a bit of mastering.

Yet, the department that typically handles those two aspects of everyday business did not have access to entry level employees who grasped the nuances. Not until Alaska Career College (ACC) developed an Associate degree specializing in human resources (HR). Bachelor's and Master's degrees in HR are available in Alaska. But in 2015, ACC became the first in Alaska to offer an Associate degree in HR.

That's important, Alaska businesses and corporations told ACC.

Entry Level

Not everyone can start at the top. The market needs good HR generalists for companies staffing large and small HR offices. An oil company can easily staff a forty-person HR office. A few large Alaska Native organizations staff more than sixty HR personnel.

"Those earning a BA or MBA are headed for the high ranking positions," explains Professor Hillary Hodges, who holds a Masters in Human Resources, a PhD in Education, and teaches at ACC. "The business community told us they needed people who could start entry level positions. It's a profession where you've got to wade in and get your feet wet."

US laws and regulations quickly change in the area of personnel. PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder), for example, is a new disability. Given the large number of US veterans returning home--and to the workplace--HR directors need to know the laws protecting them.

"Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, you're not allowed to ask a veteran if he or she has PTSD," Hodges says. "There are now 'invisible' disabilities that weren't previously in the workplace. It may or may not even be diagnosed in certain individuals."

Comprehensive Curriculum

To cover the vast territory that protects the rights of employees--and keeps corporations out of lawsuits--an HR job-ready grad needs to come out of college possessing a good foundation. Hodges designed ACC's HR curriculum to meet that need.

A Public Advisory Committee composed of local business owners and HR executives gave input to round out the curriculum. "The response and feedback we received was excellent. They asked us, 'How quickly can you get this going?'" Hodges says.

By the time ACC's HR program was in place, ACC President and Founder Jennifer Deitz says, the college had researched information from far and wide to create a comprehensive curriculum. The impetus came from the business community.

"ACC is...

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