State Strategies

Career Pathways

Engage industry sector partnerships and create career pathways for all Alaskans.

The Alaska Workforce Investment Board (AWIB) will lead the engagement of industry sector partnerships in in–demand industries including health care, construction, maritime, oil and gas, transportation, technology, education, and mining. Each sector will convene its employers and other sector partners (K–12 education; postsecondary education; regional training centers; economic development organizations; labor unions; AWIB; and other appropriate state agencies). The partnerships will update existing workforce plan(s) pertinent to that industry and gauge the status of current workforce development activities. Each sector partnership will then develop a framework that will result in education and training investments focused on and responsive to employer needs. Career pathways will be accessible to all Alaskans, including all WIOA–targeted populations.

Each sector partnership will obtain current labor market information from employers and from DOLWD’s Research and Analysis Section. The employer partners will identify high priority occupations for which trained and skilled workers will be needed in the next five years, and will identify the training, skills, and credentials required for these occupations. The sector partners will examine existing training programs to determine gaps in training both statewide and regionally. Employers will work closely with the other partners in developing career pathways to address the needs for the industry – from K–12 through postsecondary. Postsecondary will be viewed in the broad sense of any education or training that happens after high school, which could include college/university, Registered Apprenticeships, short–term training, industry certification programs, pre–apprenticeship programs, adult education, etc. AJC career specialists and case managers will adopt an industry sector approach to work more effectively with employers and job seekers.

Expand Registered Apprenticeships, pre–apprenticeships, and other work–based learning approaches.

The governor and AWIB have determined that the expansion of Registered Apprenticeship by employers will lead youth and adults, including those with disabilities and those who have multiple barriers to employment, into good paying jobs with career opportunities, while providing employers with new workers to fill in–demand occupations.

DOLWD has created a new position, Apprenticeship Coordinator, to develop new Registered Apprenticeship programs and increase the number of apprentices in training. The Apprentice Coordinator will work closely with Alaska’s USDOL Office of Apprenticeship to provide support and technical assistance to the employer partners. Alaska is expanding the participation of colleges joining the Registered Apprenticeship College Consortia so that apprentices earn college credit toward degrees and may transfer the credits to other members of the Consortia. DOLWD will work with the Alaska Department of Education & Early Development and local school districts to expand work–based learning opportunities for students and out–of–school youth, including youth with disabilities. This includes school–to–apprenticeship programs, internships, and co–operative learning to strengthen career paths and better prepare young Alaskans for employment in their career field. In December 2015, the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) Alaska Office of Apprenticeship and the Division of Employment and Training Services began training Career Counselors and Case Managers in the process involved in creating approved programs and informing job seekers and students about the benefits of apprenticeships. The training included ways to inform employers about the advantages of sponsoring an apprentice program and training workers with the skills they need to sustain and grow that business. Training included representatives from school districts, Alaska’s Job Corps Center (Palmer), University of Alaska Anchorage, AVTEC, and Ilisagvik College, Alaska’s Tribal College.

Demonstrate innovation in delivery of Alaska Job Center services.

Delivery of services through Alaska Job Centers (AJCs) will transform from site–located services for job seekers and employers to a delivery system that maximizes web–based information and increases the mobility of Community Development Specialists and case managers to provide assistance and services at various locations in the community. DOLWD will review the status of each AJC and develop strategies to change how AJCs deliver services in collaboration with community partners. This will allow a systematic approach to reduce long–term operational costs for office leases, for example, and transition to a more cost–effective approach. AJC services will focus on serving WIOA priority populations and connecting residents to career pathways leading to employment and career opportunities. AJCs with co–located programs such as Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and Vocational Rehabilitation, will strengthen relationships with WIOA core programs.

Qualified partners that deliver services for youth, adults, dislocated workers, veterans, or persons with disabilities will be trained by Job Centers to determine participant eligibility and perform some case management tasks to WIOA standards.

Prioritize services to target populations.

WIOA funds will focus on serving WIOA–defined target populations. Outreach will be expanded through regional workforce partners to inform persons with barriers to employment and other target populations of the services that are available to them. Services include career awareness and planning, employment skills, education and training opportunities, job placement, and follow–up services. DOLWD will work to enhance the connection among the variety of systems and programs that serve the targeted populations.

Alaska’s high priority target populations are:

• Youth and adults with disabilities
• Alaska Natives
• Veterans and transitioning service members
• Out–of–school youth
• Returning citizens
• Unemployed and underemployed
• Individuals with multiple barriers to training and employment

DOLWD’s Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) will continue to provide training for AJC and partner staff working with clients who have disabilities. Alaska has implemented the Ticket to Work program and is reaching out to those on Social Security Insurance (SSI) or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) to encourage them to go to an AJC for those services. DOLWD will work to expand this program to other agencies and programs, such as the Division of Behavioral Health; the Division of Senior and Disabilities Services; the Division of Public Assistance Work Services; and Centers for Independent Living.

The Department of Health and Social Services is developing a website called “Disability Benefits 101,” an online tool for those with disabilities to provide available work incentives and to determine how their SSI, SSDI, or other public benefits may be impacted by employment. The Achieving a Better Life Experience Act (ABLE) allows eligible persons with disabilities to secure a “taxed advantaged” savings account of up to $100,000 without affecting public benefit limits. Calculating benefits and ABLE savings is a critical tool for achieving quality long–term outcomes. Once the website is complete, AJC and partner staff will be trained in using the tool with clients. DOLWD will collaborate with the Department of Health and Social Services on its Work Incentives Planning & Assistance Project and on the recently awarded Disability Employment Initiative – Round VI grant entitled, “Alaska Youth Works.” These projects will build a system with multiple partners to meet the needs of Alaska’s youth with disabilities, aged 14 to 24, both in school and out–of–school, by expanding access to employment and career pathways to prepare for in–demand careers.

Alaska’s “Employment First” legislation calls for “competitive integrated employment” as the preferred outcome for those with disabilities. DOLWD will pursue a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) among DOLWD; Health and Social Services; and Education and Early Development to ensure progress towards that goal. The MOU will include commitments for active participation on the Interagency Council on Employment First, under the auspices of the Employment First State Coordinator.

Through DVR, Pre–Employment Transition Services (PETS) provides the following required activities to students with disabilities (16 to 21 year–olds) who are eligible or potentially eligible for vocational rehabilitation services: (1) job exploration counseling, (2) work–based learning opportunities, (3) counseling on postsecondary educational opportunities (4) workplace readiness training, and (5) instruction in self–advocacy. Implementation of (PETS) has resulted in increased coordination among local school districts and DVR.

DOLWD will work with Alaska Native organizations already engaged in workforce development activities to ensure services are provided as widely as possible while avoiding duplication.

DOLWD will continue to participate in Alaska’s Returning Citizens Initiative in partnership with the Alaska Department of Corrections to assist youth and adults leaving correctional facilities in obtaining gainful employment and connecting to a career path.

DOLWD will work with agencies such as Catholic Social Services to support refugees, asylum seekers, and other immigrants in improving their skillsets, pursuing education, training, and sustainable employment, in alignment with the White House Task Force on New Americans Plan developed with the participation of the Municipality of Anchorage.

DOLWD will also continue working with Alaska’s military leadership in providing training and employment opportunities to veterans and transitioning service members, for example, through a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the U.S. Army to expand their Soldier for Life – Career Path training for transitioning services members (TSMs), preparing them for employment in Alaska as they leave military service. The MOA and Army–approved training providers will create pre–apprentice and occupational training pathways to priority industry jobs.

Partner with other agencies, organizations, and programs to leverage resources.

DOLWD will continue and expand its partnerships with other agencies and organizations. While the following list is not all–inclusive, below are some examples of partnership development and partner programs:

• Alaska AFL–CIO
• Alaska Apprenticeship and Training Coordinators Association
• Alaska Association for Career and Technical Education
• Alaska Career and Technical Education Plan Advisory Committee
• Alaska Health Workforce Coalition
• Alaska Joint Base Elmendorf–Richardson Military Transition Services
• Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority
• Alaska Native Organizations
• Alaska Native Regional Employment and Training Entities
• Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium
• Alaska Performance Scholarship Program
• Alaska Postsecondary Access and Completion Network
• Alaska Process Industry Career Consortium
• Alaska Regional Economic Development Organizations
• Alaska state agencies such as Departments of Corrections; Health and Social Services; Administration; Commerce, Community, and Economic Development; Education & Early Development
• Alaska Vocational Technical Education Center
• Alaska Works Partnership, Inc.
• Alaska Youth Works (Alaska Mental Health Trust Program)
• Alaska Youth Works (Disability Employment Initiative)
• Anchorage Literacy Project
• Catholic Social Services – Refugee Assistance and Immigration Services
• Construction Education Foundation of Alaska
• Fairbanks Pipeline Training Center
• Governor’s Council on Disabilities and Special Education
• Joint–Administered Training Trusts
• Northern Industrial Training, Inc.
• Regional Training Centers
• Renewable Energy Alaska Project
• Southcentral Foundation
• Sponsors of Federal Registered Apprenticeship Programs
• University of Alaska and Community Campuses
• USDOL Office of Apprenticeship in Anchorage

Streamline internal processes.

DOLWD has already taken steps to streamline internal processes and work more efficiently. This includes the following activities:

Division Merger

Governor Walker signed Administrative Order No. 275 on June 10, 2015, directing DOLWD to merge the Employment Security Division (ESD) and the Division of Business Partnerships (DBP) into a single Division of Employment and Training Services (DETS). Reorganization will reduce duplication and overlapping functions, streamline financial administration, and lay the groundwork for future change to improve public workforce services in a cost–effective manner. The first year savings are estimated at $600,000.

Division of Employment and Training Services

The new division is led by a director, along with assistant directors for four units:

Unemployment Insurance

Workforce Services: Wagner–Peyser, Reemployment, and AJC Services

Workforce Development: Grants, Contracts and Technology

Administration: Budget and Financial Operations

The management team for the four units supervises more than 400 employees.

Policy Review

Reorganization requires that DETS review all policies to 1) reflect the new division; 2) discard duplicative and irrelevant policies; 3) ensure compliance with rules, regulations, and required processes for financial administration and operations of federal and state workforce programs; and 4) streamline processes for DOLWD staff and external customers.

Greater Integrity, Program Assessments & Grants

Consolidation of two previous divisions into one Division of Employment and Training Services (DETS) immediately ended duplicated grant administration and fiscal processes while streamlining communications between Workforce Services and Workforce Development staff for better coordination and delivery of services. DETS provides greater integrity for the allocation and use of public resources and the assessment of programs. Assessment, evaluation, and continuous improvement of workforce strategies and programs will be enhanced by the AWIB, now positioned in the Commissioner of Labor’s office. This new platform creates clear lines of distinction between workforce programs and the assessment and evaluation of those programs operated by DOLWD.

DETS prepares public solicitations for grants and performs due diligence to assure all applicants considered for funding meet the pre–application requirements. Workforce development grant administrators assist with the collection of grant applications and assist the AWIB with independent grant application reviews. The AWIB independently reviews applications, makes recommendations to the commissioner for awarding grants, and ensures integrity in award, denial, and appeal of decision processes.

Other

DOLWD has been working closely with the Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education (ACPE), in streamlining processes for DOLWD grantees and Eligible Training Providers by sharing information between the two agencies regarding the status of training providers’ compliance with ACPE regulations.

DOLWD regularly coordinates with the University of Alaska and the Department of Education & Early Development on education and workforce issues such as continued implementation of the Alaska Career and Technical Education Plan; dual/concurrent credit for high school students; aligning secondary and postsecondary programs to industry standards and industry needs; and partnering to provide pre–apprenticeship and Registered Apprenticeship opportunities.