Push for career and tech center from Alaska Operating Engineers

The Career and Technical Education Center that would be built with the passing of Proposition 1 in this year's borough election would be a great thing for the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District and the two-thirds of Mat-Su students not planning on attending college, said Alaska Operating Engineers training director Gerry Andrews.

"Career and technical training should be as important and equal as academic education," said Andrews, who has helped spearhead the push for Proposition 1 to pass. "This community really believes in education, and we've set our standards high."

According to district information specialist Kim Floyd, only one-third of high school seniors last year took the S.A.T. exams, meaning that remaining two-thirds of the seniors did not plan to continue on to college. Andrews, who works with the district on the school-to-apprenticeship program, said the career and technical center/high school would be a perfect way for the other two-thirds of students to get the training they need to work once out of high school.

"We're creating a system not only for the Mat-Su Borough," Andrews said. "We're creating a systems model that can be used statewide."

The model Andrews is speaking about is the career pathways program, which allows students to see what classes they need to take during high school in order to prepare for college and/or receive certification training to begin working once out of school. Currently there are some certification programs available at the three core high schools, but the career and technical center would allow certification training to high school students throughout the Valley. The plan is to have students attend a half day at their regular high school in academic study, then spend a half day at the career and technical high school, receiving training in their vocational or career field of choice. This program would allow students to graduate not only with a high school diploma, but also certification in their field of choice. Andrews also stressed that even college-bound students could benefit from having a certification in the area they would study in college. Either way, said Andrews, it can only mean positive things for the Valley.

"The Mat-Su school district has really been the motivator in all of this," Andrews said. "They know about employment in the Valley, and that students would have an incredible amount of opportunity with this training."

According to a district handout on Proposition 1, 20 percent of Alaska's work force resides outside Alaska. Many of those jobs held by outside employees are technical in nature.

The cost of the Career and Technical Center would be $18,600,000, and is part of the $44 million bond proposed on the Oct. 7 ballot. The state has promised to reimburse 60 percent of the debt incurred by this proposition. With the completion of the center, both students and community members would be able to receive training and certification in the following career pathway areas: Automotive services technology, building/construction trades, welding technology, information technology, health services, power equipment technology and hospitality and tourism.