State of Alaska and Vigor to Host Career Day

State agencies and educators in Southeast Alaska are joining forces with private industry to give kids a look at family-wage careers in the shipyard. The Alaska Construction and Maritime Trades Career Day provides the opportunity for hundreds of local students to explore career and educational opportunities in skilled maritime and construction trades.

More than 230 students from the Ketchikan School District (KSD) and neighboring island schools within Southeast Alaska will visit the Ketchikan shipyard to learn more about career opportunities in the maritime sector. Other participating school districts include Hydaburg, Wrangell, Petersburg, Metlakatla, and Craig. Students will be able to explore interactive exhibits, trade industry displays and heavy equipment demonstrations at the Ketchikan shipyard. Planned activities include hands-on participation with welding; marine electrical; joinery; machinist; CNC cutting; electric power generation; oil and gas occupations; marine engineering and naval architecture; knots, splicing, and ropes; and even float plane maintenance. Representatives and employers of the Alaska and Pacific Northwest region marine and construction industry sectors will be providing career information along with hands-on experiences for students and participants.

Several schools, agencies and businesses partnered to put on this event, including: the Alaska Departments of Transportation and Public Facilities (ADOTPF) Civil Rights Office & Alaska Marine Highway System, Vigor Alaska, Southern Southeast Alaska Technical Education Center (KIC/SSEATEC), the Ketchikan Campus of the University of Alaska Southeast (UAS-Ketchikan) and the Ketchikan Gateway Borough School District (KGBSD). Sponsors include Alaska and Ketchikan employers, training trusts and career and technical educators.

“Our department is committed to recruiting, retaining and growing a professional workforce and Construction Career Days provides an excellent venue where Alaska’s future contractors and engineers can learn about the different career opportunities that are available in today’s construction industry,” Transportation and Public Facilities Commissioner Pat Kemp said.

“Skilled craftspeople are at the heart of shipbuilding,” said Vigor Alaska’s Doug Ward. “Vigor Alaska is committed to providing opportunities for Ketchikan residents and Alaskans to gain the skills they need to land family wage jobs at our company. Beyond the shipyard, these industrial skills are in high demand in oil and gas, marine transportation and nearly every other industrial sector in Alaska.”

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Press Release, October 14, 2013