Alaska Works Partnership, Inc. (AWP)
Alaska Works Partnership provides information about construction and maintenance registered apprenticeship programs, assistance with applications for apprenticeship programs, employment and training plans, assistance for women to prepare for construction jobs and apprenticeships, and support for Veterans and those leaving military services who want to work in construction. AWP also provides custom intensive courses for people who need pre-vocational training for employment in construction. Courses concentrate on technical math, occupational safety, weatherization, health and residential carpentry. Working with AWP the past six years, Alaska’s four “pipeline” unions-the Operating Engineers Local 302, Laborers Local 942, Plumbers, Pipefitters Local 375 and Teamsters Local 959-have offered annual pipeline-training programs. The training provides individual training combined with joint multi-craft exercises. An emphasis is placed on safety and the environment. For more information about AWP see www.alaskaworks.org.
Cooperative Extension Service (CES) University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF)
The Cooperative Extension Service strengthens the University of Alaska Fairbanks’ educational capacity in the area and increases collaborative efforts for program delivery. Extension serves some 60,000 Alaskans annually, interpreting and extending relevant research-based university knowledge in a usable form to Alaska’s diverse people and communities. CES has educators, faculty, and staff located throughout the state and in affiliate offices with the Tanana Chiefs Conference, Eielson Air Force Base, Thorne Bay and the Delta Mine Training Center. Major program areas include energy, gardening and horticulture, food processing and preservation, preparation for state pesticide certification, Department of Transportation trucking regulations, small business financing and economic development, agriculture and natural resources, community resource and economic development, and 4-H and youth development. Delta is the site of an active CES pest management program and high interest and participation in the Cold Climate construction classes. Check out CES at https://www.uaf.edu/ces/.
Delta/Greely High School (DHS) Delta/Greely School District (DGSD)
A National Center for Construction, Education and Research (NCCER) certified instructor teaches a sequence of six specific topics that are part of the Construction Trades (CT) core curriculum covering everything from basic math to use of tools, safety and essential residential construction skills. The Delta/Greely High School’s Construction Trades program has established a successful mock interview program for high school seniors selected for interviews with industry and/or the Trades. The Construction Trades classes go well beyond a typical “shop” class that might construct sawhorses. Students at the Delta High School Program create real-world projects that serve the community. For example, students helped construct the existing facility, some have built the vendor booths used by the Farmers’ Market, others helped construct concession and announcer stands for the football team, picnic benches for the local community park and metals classes produce and sell to the public State of Alaska Forestry approved burn barrels. The DGSD is introducing middle school students to the Construction Trades program through visits to the DCAC facility and the high school CT program was expanded in the fall of 2008 to include 10th grade in addition to 11th and 12th grades. Other vocational/technical programs launched at the high school include a metals class and aerospace program introduced in fall 2013. DGSD can be found at www.dgsd.k12.ak.us.
University of Alaska Fairbanks Community and Technical College (UAF CTC)
University of Alaska Fairbanks Community and Technical College (UAF CTC) provides a broad range of career advancement courses and programs leading to certificate and associate degrees. For this partnership, it offers academic credit and custom non-credit classes at the DCAC. Serving the Delta educational consortium since 2003, the college offers classes ranging from computer applications, applied business, and communication, to AutoCAD, Certified Nurse Aide, English, Anthropology, American Sign Language and welding. UAF CTC is prepared to extend academic credit and continuing education credits for career and technical courses, including Applied Mining Technology, Process Technology, Drafting Technology, and Materials Technology as well as Trades and Technology. UAF CTC continues to work with the DGSD to articulate new Tech Prep Agreements and dual credit classes that will offer UAF credits to secondary students. More information about UAF CTC can be found at www.ctc.uaf.edu.