DOCUMENT RESUME Vocational Education in Alaska. 1997 … · 2014-06-30 · 77 percent of AVTEC 1994 graduates had. wage or salary employment in Alaska in the year after graduation;

DOCUMENT RESUME

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TITLE Vocational Education in Alaska. 1997 Status Report.INSTITUTION Alaska State Dept. of Education, Juneau. Teaching and

Learning Support Div.PUB DATE 1997-04-00NOTE 136p.; Prepared by Madden Associates.PUB TYPE Reports Research (143)EDRS PRICE MF01/PC06 Plus Postage.DESCRIPTORS Academic Education; Annual Reports; Articulation

(Education); Change Strategies; Economic Development;Education Work Relationship; Educational Change; EducationalFacilities; *Educational Improvement; Educational Needs;Educational Objectives; Educational Quality; Enrollment;Enrollment Trends; Financial Support; Labor Market;Leadership; Outcomes of Education; Program Administration;*Program Costs; Relevance (Education); Salary WageDifferentials; Staff Development; *State Programs; StatewidePlanning; Student Characteristics; Tech Prep; Two YearColleges; *Vocational Education

IDENTIFIERS *Alaska; Carl D Perkins Voc and Appl Techn Educ Act 1990;Welfare Reform; Welfare to Work Programs

ABSTRACTIn 1997, 78,644 Alaskans participated in vocational

education (VE) in a public secondary school or university. Enrollments insecondary- and postsecondary-level VE were approximately equal. At thesecondary level, 57% of vocational students were male. Alaskan nativesaccounted for only 15% of the total vocational enrollment at thepostsecondary level. Job placement was the goal for most VE, particularly atthe postsecondary level. Of the 1994 VE program completers, 77% were employedin Alaska in the year after their graduation, and 46% were employed in anoccupation directly related to their course of study. As a group, VEcompleters earned 52% more than graduates with no VE. For Alaskan natives andfemale completers of postsecondary VE, the wage benefits of VE increased 57%and 178%, respectively. State funding was by far the greatest source offunding for VE. Several significant trends were affecting VE in Alaska,including the following: Alaska's Quality Schools initiative, school-to-work,welfare reform, and Carl Perkins reauthorization. The following broad themesfor VE program improvement were identified through a review of pertinentdocuments and interviews with VE stakeholders: embrace school reforms; engagein the state's economic development agenda; and provide leadership andresources. (Contains 39 references and an executive summary precedes' the fullreport.) (MN)

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9 STATUS REPO/0,

Vocational Educationin Alaska

U.S. PARTNIENT OF EDUCATIONOffice of ducational Research and ImprovementEDU TIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION

CENTER (ERIC)

his document has been reproduced asreceived from the person or organizationoriginating it

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Points of view or opinions stated in this docu-ment do not necessarily represent officialOERI position or policy

PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE ANDDISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL

HAS BEEN GRANTED BY

TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCESINFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)

Prepared for

Alaska Department of EducationDivision of Teaching and Learning Support

by

Madden Associates

Juneau, Alaska

Linda VanBallenberghe Project ManagerApril, 1997

BEST COPY AVAILABLE 2

,9y STATUS REPOR7,


Prepared forAlaska Department of Education

Division of Teaching and Learning Support

by

Madden AssociatesJuneau, Alaska

Linda VanBallenberghe Project Manager

April, 1997

Lt-

1997 STATUS REpo???,


EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Background of the ReportThe Alaska Department of Education commis-sioned a report on the state's vocationaleducation system to determine how the systemprepares Alaskans for the workforce. Thereport identified training resources and oppor-tunities available in the state and examinedthe relationships between programs andspecific outcomes. In particular, the reportasked the following questions:

What vocational programs are available,where, and whom do they serve?How do programs facilitate transitions tojobs or further training?How do the skills being taught relate toskills demanded in the Alaskan labormarket?

How are programs supported?What are the issues facing vocationaleducation?

How can the system be improved?

Why Is A Report Needed?The vocational education system of the state iscurrently facing a number of challenges andissues which make such a report valuable. Inthe K-12 system, the Quality School initiative,which seeks to improve all aspects of educa-tion, is forcing vocational educators to redefinetheir role at the secondary level. Discussionsof school financing reform and federal pro-gram consolidation focus attention on cat-egorical funding. The School to Work move-ment challenges schools to extend workforcepreparedness activities to all students, not justthose enrolled in formally-defined vocationaleducation programs.

At the postsecondary level, the Universitysystem continues to seek ways of fulfilling itsvocational/technical education mission in thewake of the 1987 reorganization, which

consolidated the community colleges into thethree main campuses.

Changes in the Alaska workforce provideadditional challenges. As various regions of thestate experience a decline in natural resourceharvesting and extraction activity, the numberof displaced workers grows. Alaska's contin-ued integration into a global economy bringsnew opportunities but also forces hard choicesto be made with respect to what trainingshould be offered and who should deliver it .

Social trends further affect the direction ofvocational education. Welfare reform, as themost visible of these trends, currently receivesthe lion's share of attention, but the aging ofthe workforce, gender equity and changingconditions in rural Alaska also impact voca-tional programs.

The report is intended to assist state policymakers in examining the policy implications ofthese trends and to help stakeholders create avision for an equitable and coordinated state-wide delivery system for vocational education.

What Is Being Studied?Definitions of vocational education vary, but acommonly-accepted description comes from thefederal Carl Perkins Vocational and AppliedTechnology Act, which provides funding forboth secondary and postsecondary vocationalprograms. According to this definition, voca-tional education programs exhibit the followingcharacteristics. They offer a sequence ofcourses which are directly related to the prepa-ration of individuals in paid or unpaid employ-ment; prepare students for entry into current oremerging occupations; and require other than abaccalaureate or advanced degree.

The report looked for programs meeting thisdefinition offered by secondary andpostsecondary institutions around the state.

STATUS REPoR.,

CIECEBEIED Vocational Educationin Alaska

What Vocational EducationPrograms Are Offered?

Training at some educational levelsecondary,certificate, associate degreeis offered in mostall of the fields commonly recognized as"vocational". The following occupationallisting is used for secondary programs:

Natural Resources/Agriculture

Business ManagementOffice Skills

Marketing

Family/Consumer ScienceTechnical EducationAllied Health

Secondary schools also offer a variety ofwork experience such as cooperativeeducation and on-the-job training and providecourses in applied academics which integrateoccupational applications into standardacademic classes. Postsecondary training isavailable in specialty areas within the aboveclassifications.

Where Is Vocational EducationOffered?

Vocational education programs and courses areoffered in almost all areas of the state, bypublic secondary schools, branches of theUniversity of Alaska system, two state-fundedtechnical centers, one Job Corps Center,private non-profit agencies, apprenticeship

CHART #1Enrollments in public secondary anduniversity-system vocational education

REGION ENROLLMENT

Anchorage/Mat-Su 30,266Gulf Coast 12,479Interior 17,161

Northern 2,724Southeast 12,007Southwest 4,007TOTAL 78,644

2

SUMMARY

programs and private career education institu-tions. A comprehensive listing of programsby region, level and institution is provided inthe report. A summary look at enrollments inpublic secondary and university-systemvocational education (Chart 1) shows howwidespread training opportunities are. Enroll-ments are by course, not by head count, sothere is some duplication because one personmay take more than one course.

Who Is Served By VocationalEducation Programs?

Enrollments in public institutionsare about half at the secondaryand half at the postsecondarylevel. In secondaryprograms, about57 percent ofenrollees aremale, and43 percentfemale. Chart 2gives the ethnicmakeup of thesecondarypopulation.

The university system'svocational programs showtion rate among AlaskanNatives (15 percentof total vocationalenrollment) anda correspond-ingly higher rateof enrollment bywhite students.Participationrates for otherminorities arevery similar tosecondaryprograms.

Over the pastdecade, spurredlargely by

5

CHART #2Ethnic makeup of

secondary population

AK Native/Indian23.3%

limitedEnglish24.9%

Asian4.7%

Hispanic2.5%

Black5.3%

White54 2%

a lower participa-

CHART #3Secondary Programs enrollment

among special groups

disabled ,17.5% \

disadvantaged57.6%

1997 STATUS Rep0R7.

CEIMEMID Vocational Educationin Alaska

federal funding and requirements, secondaryprograms have concentrated on increasingparticipation of special groups. Currently,disadvantaged, disabled and limited-Englishspeaking students account for over 50 percentof total enrollment. Chart 3 shows the distri-bution among special groups.

How Do Programs FacilitateRansitions To Jobs Or FurtherRaining?

Job placement is the goal for most vocationaleducation, particularly at the postsecondarylevel. Probably the best way of determininghow well the system places graduates inrelated employment is to follow up the gradu-ates themselves and find out what they aredoing. The report looked at several recentstudies conducted by the Alaska Departmentof Labor which matched program completersagainst the Alaska Occupational Data Base andother data sources such as Permanent FundDividend files, occupational licenses, businesslicenses, fishing crew licenses and certainfederal data files.

In the past several years, three major studiesfollowing up vocational education/trainingstudents have been conducted using this data:for Alaska Vocational Technical Center(AVTEC) at Seward (1994 graduates); Univer-sity of Alaska vocational education students(1988 to 1991); and the Alaska Student LoanProgram (all borrowers between 1984 and1992).

The studies indicate that program completersenter or re-enter the local job market atrelatively high rates. For example,

77 percent of AVTEC 1994 graduates hadwage or salary employment in Alaska inthe year after graduation;46 percent were employed in Alaska in anoccupation directly related to their courseof study;average after-training salaries were52 percent higher for the total group;

36

SUMMARY

Alaskan Native student earnings increasedby 57 percent and female student post-training earnings were 178 percent higherthan before training;73 percent of University systemcompleters were working in Alaska duringthe two years following completion ofenrollment;an additional 2,900 were working for thefederal government either in Alaska orelsewhere;

another 1,668 had obtained some sort ofstate licenseoccupational, business orfishing crewwhich may have been usedfor self-employment;

two-thirds of Student Loan borrowers inthe fields of therapy, technical and heavyduty operator had Alaska wage/salaryearnings in the state in 1992.in-state job rates for other vocationalprograms ranged from over one-half to lessthan 20 percent.

Programs receiving federal funding, such asthe Job Corps Center in Palmer and trainingoperated under the Jobs Training PartnershipAct, are required to follow up placement ofgraduates. Fiscal year 1996 rates from theseprograms vary from 83 percent placementfrom Job Corps completers to 57 percent forJTPA.

The only similar study involving secondarystudents was with Anchorage King CareerCenter graduates. Although on a muchsmaller scaleonly 259 students were fol-lowedthe study found that a significantnumber (61.2 percent) had in-state employ-ment in the fall following their graduation.Again, placement by program varied, fromthree-fourths of the students in automatedoffice occupations to around four percent ofstudents taking graphic arts.

Since much of secondary-level vocationaleducation, particularly in the high technologyareas, is exploratory or entry-level training, abetter indicator of secondary program successis how well students transition to further

loisTATIERRA047,

aCIEWIED Vocational Educationin Alaska

training. Unfortunately, there is no currentstatistical information which addresses thisarea. However, agreements between second-ary schools and neighboring postsecondaryinstitution are becoming quite common in thestate. Tech Prep or "2 x 2" programs providebridges between secondary vocational educa-tion and a certificate or associate degreeprogram, so that a student moves easily fromone level to another. Most articulated pro-grams allow students to earn postsecondarycredits while still in high school. Tech prepprograms are operated by all campuses of theuniversity system, as well as the two technicalschools at Seward and Kotzebue, in conjunc-tion with local high schools. Although theseprograms are fairly new and information abouthow successful they are is still lacking, it isreasonable to assume that coordinationbetween high school and postsecondaryprograms will make it easier for students tomake this important transition.

How Are The Skills BeingTaught Related To The AlaskanJob Market?

An important consideration for vocationalprograms supported by state funds is how wellthey relate to Alaskan labor market needs.The report matched training opportunitiesagainst labor demand from three sources:new and emerging occupations/jobs; vacan-cies from turn-over in current jobs and re-placement for non-resident hires. Althoughsome training was offered in the state for alloccupations identified, it appears that the statecould benefit from greater attention to trainingAlaskans for areas currently employing manynon-resident workers. Fisheries and the oilindustry are two examples.

Given the relatively constricted nature of theAlaskan job market, however, the trainingsystem should not be limited to those skills inlocal demand. One way of expanding oppor-tunities to state residents is to develop aregional, national or international market forsome training opportunities. For example, the

4

SUMMARY

recent state agreement with Sakhalin Island toprovide training in petroleum exploration andextracting techniques strengthens the petro-leum programs available to Alaskan students.National and international marketing of the airtraffic control program using UAA's state-of-the-art facility would help support that facilityfor the relatively small numbers of Alaskanstudents in the program.

How Are Programs Supported?State fundingthrough general fund, programreceipts or student loansis by far the greatestsource of funding for vocational programs.Secondary vocational education is supportedthrough the Public School Foundation pro-gram. Vocational education students generateboth basic funding and special categoricalfunding, which takes into account thehigher costs associated with providingappropriate materials and equipment forhands-on learning.

Although funds are generated by vocationalprograms, school districts are free to spendthese funds in other ways. Therefore, toobtain an idea of how secondary programs aresupported, the report examined expendituresby local school districts for vocational educa-tion. Over the past six years, these expendi-

CHART #4Percent Change in Vocational and TotalInstructional Expenditures

o PercentTotal InstructionExpenditures

FY91/92

Changes in Percent Changesin Total Voc EdExpenditures

9%2.5%

FY92/93 4.9%

2.7%

FY93/94 4.7%2.6%

FY94/95 1.7%

0.3%

FY95/96 2.3%

7

-3.6%

1997 STATUS Rep04,7,

CEETERSID Vocational Educationin Alaska

tures showed a modest increase of about 4.5percent; however, when dollars are adjustedfor inflation, the real expenditures havedropped by about 8 percent. At the sametime, vocational education enrollments haveincreased. Chart 4 shows changes in localexpenditures from the 1990/91 school year tolast school year for vocational educationcompare with expenditures for all instruction.

During the same period, state support forother vocational education purposessuch asstate administration, the two technical centers,RSVP (a program to provide urban work-experience for rural students) and studentvocational leadership organizationshasdeclined by about 15 percent in actual dollars.In purchasing power, the decline has beenaround 25 percent.

State general fund also supports the universitysystem training programs, Unfortunately, it isnot possible to accurately sort out expendi-tures for vocational programs from expendi-tures for general education for each campus.Therefore, changes in support over timecannot be determined.

Public secondary and postsecondary trainingprograms also receive federal support throughthe Carl Perkins Act. Appropriations since theearly 1990's have been between $4 and 4.2million. Perkins funds are a major source ofprogram innovation and improvement, sincestate funds for program development arelacking.

The conclusion drawn from funding informa-tion is that vocational education programs, atleast at the secondary level, have experienceda steady decline in purchasing power since thebeginning of this decade. Support has alsodeclined for state administration, the state-funded technical centers and several specialprograms. Although figures for the universitysystem were not available, overall reductionsin budgets most likely have caused a corre-sponding restriction on vocational programexpenditures. This eroding support manifestsitself in reduced vocational education staffs atboth levels, as positions becoming vacant

35

SUMMARY

through turn over or early retirement remainunfilled. Belt-tightening is also evident in theobsolescence of equipment and materials usedin many programs. In both systems, federalCarl Perkins fundsthe one source of seedmoney for innovationremain flat.

Vocational educators face an additional fund-ing challenge in federal and state movementsaway from categorical funding to more flexibleblock funding. Under proposed changes atboth levels, school districts and other granteeswould be encouraged to combine funds frommultiple sources to support comprehensive,consolidated plans. In such a system, allprograms, including vocational education,must be able to defend themselves on thebasis of student results rather than generationof categorical revenue.

What Are The Issues FacingVocational Education?

Several significant trends are impacting thevocational education system of the state atpresent. From information gathered by thisreport, the most pressing of these are the

Quality School Initiative

School to Work

Welfare reform

Non-resident hires

Carl Perkins Reauthorization/Consolidated PlanProgram Leadership

Each of these trends presents challenges to thecurrent system.

Alaska's Quality Schools initiative has severalcomponents, including high academic studentstandards, qualityprofessional standards,family, community andbusiness involvementin student learning andschool based account-ability standards.Vocational educationcan play a substantial

1.997 STATUS Repo

aingiiIED Vocational Educationin Alaska

role in identifying work-readiness and careerplanning skills which all students shouldachieve, helping academic teachers incorpo-rate "real world" problems and hands-onactivities into the general curriculum andforging school/ community partnerships forlearning.

At the state level, the Department will beforwarding work readiness and career educa-tion standards to the State Board for adoptionin the near future. Another area for whichstudent standards are appropriate is in theoccupational clusters covered by vocationaleducation. These are not yet in place. Thevocational education staff of the Departmentof Education are proposing that the state andthe school districts develop these standards forthose occupational clusters that are mostwidely demanded in the market place andmost commonly taught in secondary pro-grams.

In order for vocational education to impact theinitiative, however, it must become moreproactive at all levels. One of the moredisturbing findings which surfaced through theinterviews conducted for this report was theperceived lack of leadership and direction forvocational education. Although the schoolreform movementwhich includes QualitySchools and School-to-Workconsists ofelements long practiced by vocational educa-tors, many of those interviewed felt that themovement was bypassing vocational educationat best and at worst, engulfing it. Manyinterviewees cited the need for a strong voicewhich could articulate vocational education'srole in school reform. Of particular concernwas the need to preserve for secondaryschools a place in occupational skill training.

School to Work is a new educational thrustdirected at preparing all students to make asmooth transition from school to meaningfulemployment. It takes traditional concepts fromvocational education and seeks to infuse theminto the general curriculum.

6

SUMMARY

Some district school to work efforts are anoutgrowth of earlier activity funded throughvocational education and vocational educatorsare assuming leadership of the process. Inother districts, vocational education appears tobe only marginally involved. Yet vocationaleducators, with their long history of appliedlearning, community involvement and perfor-mance-based assessment should be at the coreof any education reform movement.

If vocational educators hold themselves alooffrom the school to work initiative, there issome real danger that district commitment tooccupational-specific skills for some studentswill be jettisoned in favor of attention to moregeneral employability skill development for allstudents, even though it is clear that both setsof skills are needed. If other educators ignorethe experience and expertise of vocationaleducators, the school-to-work movement coulddegenerate into an unrelated series of "real-life" episodes loosely grafted onto a business-as-usual traditional curriculum.

Welfare reform is on the minds of almost allcurrent providers of vocational education andtraining in the state. Universally, providersexpressed concern at the demands that will beplaced on the economy as the public assis-tance system seeks to place more than 4,000people in work over the next fiscal year.

Activities which count as work participationare clearly delineated in federal legislation. Nomore than 20 percent of individuals countingtoward a state's work rate in any one monthmay meet the requirement by participating invocational training or being an in-school teenparent. For 1998, about 850 public assistanceclients would be eligible for training, includinghigh school completion on the part of teenparents.

9

1997 STATUS REpole1,

(MIMI Vocational Educationin Alaska

Although the state could allow training forthis number, it need not do so. All states havethe option of placing people in work withouttrainingthe so called "Work First" philoso-phy. Essential assumptions of this philosophyare

the best way to succeed in the labormarket is to join it.work habits and skills are developed onthe job rather than in the classroom.any job is a good job and can be astepping stone to a better job.

Many of those interviewed for this reportexpressed reservations about the Work Firstapproach. The current system has consider-able experience in attempting to assist indi-viduals move from welfare to work. Allinvolved with these program stress the needfor attention to attitudes, life skills and socialdevelopment prior to job placement. Giventhe fact that the new laws limit lifetimeparticipation in the welfare system to 60months, it seems imperative that the firstattempt at transition from public assistance towork be as positive as possible. Failures willnot get many more chances.

The issue of replacing non-resident hires withAlaskans presents a significant challenge forthe existing system. Among problems to besolved are how to increase the ability of bothpublic and private vocational educators torespond to industry demands, particularly inhighly-technical fields and how Alaskans canparticipate in occupations which experienceseasonal or cyclical demand. A partial answerto the last question may be to combine paidemployment with subsistence in rural Alaska.In other areas such as seafood processing, it isbecoming possible for trained people to havealmost full-year work by "following thespecies"; e.g., moving from salmon to herringroe processing. Other ways of helping workersdeal with uneven workforce demand need tobe explored.

7

SUMMARY

Carl Perkins reauthorization representsanother challenge identified through inter-views and data. Perkins funds have providedthe major source of planning and developmentcapital available to public and non-profittraining institutions. Without these funds, theflexibility of the systemalready limited byother constraintswill be further impaired.

Perkins funds can also fuel the comprehensivereform effort described above which has at itscore the integration of academic and occupa-tional, theoretical and applied learning for allstudents.

A related issue is the consolidated plan ap-proach in which a district with an approvedplan may combine and commingle federalcategorical funds, including Carl Perkinsmoneys. This provides a heretofore unheardof opportunity for local districts to develop anintegrated plan of school improvement,including improvement of students' workreadiness and occupational skills. It alsoserves to remove the categorical protectionfrom vocational education at the federal level.

Program leadership emerged as an issue inthe course of interviews conducted for thisreport. Vocational educators and vocationalstudents expressed concern that they and theirprograms were being overlooked in the schoolreform efforts currently taking place. Severalinterviewees noted the reduction in DOEvocational staff, the loss of a separate state-level advocacy board, the moves to eliminatecategorical funding at both the state and thefederal levels and the reorganization of theUniversity system as evidence that the state'scommitment to vocational training was wan-ing. Yet, all those interviewed expressed astrong belief in vocational education's impor-tance to education renewal as well as to theeconomic development of the state.

What most practitioners are asking for is aclear vision of how they can fit into theinitiatives underway. Adoption of statestandards for workforce preparedness, career

1 0

1997 STATUS RepoR.z,

MMUS Vocational Educationin Alaska

guidance and occupational-specific skillswould help provide this vision. Supportbothfiscal and professionalto vocational educa-tors as they work out new roles is also needed.

What Can Be DoneTo Improve The System?

From the information collected and interviewsconducted for this report, three broad themesfor program improvement emerged:

embrace school reform effortsengage in the state's economicdevelopment agendaprovide leadership and resources.

Under each of these themes, recommendationssurfaced for programs, institutions and thestate.

1. Embrace School Reform EffortsAt the program levelRecommendation: Vocational educatorsmust become actively involved in assistingschools to teach employability skills,integrate academic and practical learning,provide occupational-specific skill trainingand connect classrooms with the commu-nity. This applies to postsecondary as wellas secondary programs.

Recommendation: The learnings fromvocational student leadership organizationsconcerning assessment by doing andcommunity-judged performance should beconsidered by other curricular areas.

At the institutional levelRecommendation: Governing boards ofschool districts and the University systemmust recognize the value of vocationaleducation in meeting school improvementgoals. Commitment to quality vocationaltraining should be a part of eachinstitution's mission statement.

8

SUMMARY

Recommendation: The University ofAlaska system should continue to offercrucial teacher and program support tolocal secondary vocational educationprograms. This includes providingacademic and hands-on trainingexperiences for prospective and currentvocational educators, assisting in statewidecurricula development and performingaction research on program performance.

Recommendation: Opportunities fordemonstrating performance and developingleadership offered by vocational studentleadership organizations should be sup-ported at the local level and expanded toother areas of student performance.

At the state levelRecommendation: Performance standardsfor all students should be developed andadopted in the areas of career developmentand work readiness. These standardsshould identify internationally-competitivecontent and performance, link academicand occupational development, reflect theneeds of employers, and make occupationaleducation part of the core learning for allstudents.

Recommendation: A commonly-acceptedset of career clusters should be adoptedcovering occupational areas in demand orprojected to be in demand by the Alaskalabor market as emerging/growth occupa-tions, new hires in existing occupations orreplacements of non-resident hires. Studentperformance standards, which integrateacademic, employability, career develop-ment and occupational-specific skills,should then be developed and adopted forthese clusters.

I 14.

1997 STATUS Repc:07,

CEEMMED Vocational Educationin Alaska

Recommendation: Performance of allpublic secondary and postsecondaryprograms should be measured periodicallyin terms of student post-training job place-ment, earnings, enrollment in apprentice-ships or other training programs and otheragreed-upon measures of success. Re-sources such as the Alaska Department ofLabor wage and salary files should beutilized to assure comparability of resultsacross programs.

2. Engage in the state's economicdevelopment agendaAt the program levelRecommendation: Training institutionsshould examine ways in which they cansupport state efforts to reduce non-residenthire.

Recommendation: In line with the previ-ous recommendation, training institutionsshould seek ways to assist students com-bine seasonal or cyclical skill employmenteither sequentially or with subsistenceactivities as one way of reducing depen-dency on non-resident hire.

At the Institutional levelRecommendation: Barriers to offeringshort-term, industry specific courses in arapid response mode should be identifiedand eliminated. This includes both internaland external program approval require-ments, budget amendment processes andhiring practices among other potentialbarriers.

Recommendation: Institutions should beencouraged to develop programs whichtake advantage of Alaska's unique locationand climate and to market these programsto the Lower 48 and internationally.

129

SUMMARY

At the state levelRecommendation: The Alaska HumanResources Investment Council (AHRIC), asthe entity charged with comprehensiveworkforce development, should continue toidentify areas where training is needed,inform training institutions of this need andhelp secure the necessary resources.

Recommendation: Local advisory councilsand other ways of assuring a close fitbetween training, labor market demandsand community economic developmentshould be required of all state-fundedvocational education programs.

3. Provide leadership andresourcesAt the institutional levelRecommendations: Once an institutionhas determined to offer a program ofoccupational skill training, it should pro-vide the staff, equipment and other re-sources necessary to assure programquality. Because funding will continue tobe limited, institutions are encouraged toexplore cooperative relationships to elimi-nate duplication and to fully utilize existingstaff, equipment and facilities. Institutionsare also encouraged to develop alternativedelivery systems to extend training opportu-nities in space and time.

At the state levelRecommendation: Capital requests fortraining equipment and facility mainte-nance need to have some opportunity forfunding from the state.

Recommendation: The state shouldsupport the reauthorization of the federalCarl Perkins Act, preferably along lineswhich would encourage reform initiatives.This implies that the current Perkinsemphasis on special populations be less-ened in favor of comprehensive, integratedprogram planning for all students.

Recommendation: The subcommittee ofAHRIC charged with attention to vocationaleducation needs to become more visible topractitioners and to include involvement ofDOE staff.

Recommendation: School to apprentice-ship efforts should be expanded to morestudents, possibly through regional or statecoordination of local school and business/union efforts. The number of occupationscovered by registered apprenticeship andemployer-based apprenticeship programsshould be increased.

Recommendation: The experience ofvocational training providers in assistingclients to transition from welfare to workshould be examined and considered insetting up the state's welfare reform system.In particular, the state is urged to useappropriate job readiness and occupational-specific skill training to the extent allowedunder federal law.

Copies of the full report are available from:Alaska Department of Education Division of Teaching and Learning Support

801 W 10th Street, Suite 200 Juneau, AK 99801-1894

1310

I. INTRODUCTION 1

II. STATUS OF VOCATIONAL EDUCATION 3

WHAT IS VOCATIONAL EDUCATION? 3

WHERE IS IT OFFERED? 4Geographical Location 5Institution 33

WHO IS ENROLLED? 37By institution 38By characteristic 39

TN WHAT PROGRAMS? 40How IS IT SUPPORTED? 44

Staffing 59Equipment 61Facilities 62

How DOES VOC ED FIT INTO OTHER INITIATIVES? 63Quality Schools 63Tech Prep 65Academics 67School to Work 67

How DOES VOC ED ASSIST IN TRANSITIONS? 69School to Work 70School to School 73Work to School 74Welfare to Work 74

How WELL DO CURRENT PROGRAMS MATCH: 77Anticipated new job areas 77Turnover in current jobs 81Non-resident hire job areas 82

III. ISSUES AND RECOMMENDATIONS 85

WHAT ARE THE DUPLICATIONS/GAPS IN THE SYSTEM? 85WHAT ARE THE EMERGING CHALLENGES? 86WHAT CAN BE DONE TO IMPROVE THE SYSTEM? 91

IV. SOURCES 95

WRITTEN DOCUMENTS 95DATA SOURCES 97ACADEMIC CATALOGS 97MEETINGS 98SPECIAL THANKS TO: 98ACKNOWLEDGMENT: 99

14

I. INTRODUCTION

In early 1997, the Alaska Department of Education commissioned a study to present a"clearly definable snap shot of the status quo of the state's vocational education system asa vehicle for workforce preparedness". The study seeks to identify training resources andopportunities available to Alaskan and to trace the relationships between programs andspecific outcomes. In particular, the study asked the following questions:

What vocational programs are available, where, and whom do they serve?How do programs facilitate transitions to jobs or further training?How do the skills being taught relate to skills demanded in the Alaskan labormarket?How are programs supported?What are the issues facing vocational education?How can the system be improved?

The study serves as an assessment of the strengths and needs of the current system. Thefindings of the study are intended to assist state policy makers in creating a vision forequitable and coordinated statewide delivery system for vocational education.

The vocational education system of the state is currently facing a number of challengesand issues which make such a study valuable. In the K-12 system, the Quality Schoolinitiative, which seeks to improve all aspects of education, is forcing vocational educatorsto redefine their role at the secondary level. State leaders must determine what is orshould be the relationship of vocational outcomes to the content standards for Alaskastudents, adopted by the State Board of Education. Vocational educators need to addresshow teacher and administrator performance standards should be applied at local levels.Discussions of school financing reform and federal program consolidation focus attentionon categorical funding. The School to Work movement challenges schools to extendworkforce preparedness activities to all students, not just those enrolled in formally-defined vocational education programs.

At the postsecondary level, the University system continues to seek ways of fulfilling itsvocational/technical education mission in the wake of the 1987 reorganization, whichconsolidated the community colleges into the three main campuses. Private careereducators face revisions in state and federal student financial aid which may substantiallyalter their ability to attract students.

Changes in the Alaska workforce provide additional challenges. As various regions ofthe state experience a decline in natural resource harvesting and extraction activity, thenumber of displaced workers grows. Retraining an experienced workforce may require asubstantially different system than that already in place. Alaska's continued integrationinto a global economy brings new opportunities but also forces hard choices to be madewith respect to what training should be offered and who should deliver it .

1 15

Social trends further affect the direction of vocational education. Welfare reform, as themost visible of these trends, currently receives the lion's share of attention, but the agingof the workforce, gender equity and changing conditions in rural Alaska also impactvocational program.

The study sought to shed light on these questions and issues by mining the richinformation base that already exists regarding various components of the state's systemand by supplementing this information, where necessary, with interviews froma broadcross-section of stakeholders in the system.

As will be seen in the following pages, not all of the questions were answered and nonewas answered fully. In part, this is a reflection of some fragmentation in the system, andof data collection/interpretation difficulties, both of which evidence tensions in thecurrent situation. One the positive side, however, this difficulty also reflects a dynamismin the system which cannot be captured because it is not always institutionalized. Thus,for example, short-term, industry- or community-specific training is not always identifiedin catalogs of postsecondary institutions, nor considered in enrollment tallies. Secondaryprograms may offer training, use of equipment or expertise of instructors to thecommunity at large, yet this service is not recorded in statewide statistics.

Nevertheless, the information available provides a compelling picture of the state'scurrent capacity for workforce development. In the following discussion, strengths of thecurrent system are noted, as well as areas on which policy makers should focus attention.To the extent possible, the report identifies trendsboth internal and externalwhichimpact the viability of the system and suggests areas for further discussion and analysis.The report concludes with recommendations from stakeholders concerning systemimprovement.

16

2

II. STATUS OF VOCATIONAL EDUCATION

What is vocational education?A first step to detailing the state's system of vocational education is to determine whatwill be included. Department of Education regulations define secondary vocationaleducation as "organized programs, approved by the department, for grades nine throughtwelve, that prepare individuals for paid or unpaid employment or for further education."(4 AAC 51.390). The American Vocational Association defines postsecondaryvocational education as "the segment of education less than a baccalaureate degreecharged with preparing people for work."

In an October, 1993, report, the Statewide Vocational Education Task Force of theUniversity of Alaska, recommended that the University system definevocational/technical education as:

all Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree programsall related (AAS) certificate programsall occupational specific credit and non-credit preparation courses, certificatesand degree programssubsistence programs related to self-sufficiency for living, where subsistenceis the chosen life style over paid employmentcourses and programs designed for occupational certification and currencyrequirementsindustry-specific job training'

The Fairbanks North Star Borough School District, in a recent report, defined vocationaleducation as "a series of connected educational programs which directly or indirectlyprepare students for employment or prepare them for advanced study...that leads toemployment."2

The federal Carl Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Act, which providesfunding for both secondary and postsecondary vocational programs, defines vocationaleducation as:

organized educational programs offering a sequence of courses which aredirectly related to the preparation of individuals in paid or unpaidemployment in current or emerging occupations requiring other than abaccalaureate or advanced degree. Such programs shall includecompetency-based applied learning which contributes to a person'sacademic knowledge, higher-order reasoning and problem solving skills,

I University of Alaska, Statewide Office of Vocational and Technical Education, program Review, October,1993, no page number.2Fairbanks North Star Borough School District, Vocational/Technical Education Advisory Council,Vocational/Technical Education Programs, December, 1996, p.l.

3

and the occupational skills necessary for economic independence as aproductive and contributing member of society3.

None of the above definitions is without problems. For example, if the intent is job-related, is a computer applications course which teaches word-processing as part of anoffice occupations program considered "vocational" even though it enrolls a large numberof college-bound students? Or, can a two-week course for Industry X be consideredvocational education, even though it is not part of an organized program? Whatdistinguishes "vocational" accounting at the AAS or certificate level from "professional"accounting at the BA level? Is woodshop, which teaches the use of tools, as "vocational"as electronics?

Given the problems inherent in any definition, the study chose to accept an institution'sdesignation at face value; that is, if a public or private school, university campus, or otheragency defined the program/course/activity as "vocational", it was accepted as such.Where this inclusiveness causes problems in analysis, it is noted.

Where is it offered?Vocational education/training is offered in all parts of the state by a variety of public andprivate institutions.

Although some communities, such as Anchorage and Fairbanks, are for obvious reasonscharacterized by a greater breadth and scope of opportunity, most communities have someeducational activity directed at workforce preparedness, either through the local publicschool district, an extended campus of the University system, Job Training andPartnership Act (JTPA) programs and/or private providers. In addition, the Universitysystem is expanding its distance delivery system. For the current academic year, twovocational programs are offered statewide through the University of Alaska LearningCooperative: UAF's Human Service Technology Program and UAS's BusinessInformation Systems Program. Both programs lead to an AAS degree and both utilize avariety of distribution methods, including audio and video tapes, radio and TV broadcast,electronic mail and Internet. UAS-Sitka also offers its AAS program in EnvironmentalTechnology statewide via distance education. As more programs are added to the system,vocational/technical education delivery will increasingly be freed from geographic andeven time constraints.

The current system is described in some detail below by region. The regions chosen arethose used by the Alaska Department of Labor in reporting labor force participation andunemployment. Department of Labor regions were chose because they allow the readerto compare information about vocational education opportunities and the overalleconomic situation of the particular region, using DOL data and reports. In this report,only employment figures from the regions have been used. The six regions are:

3 Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Act, Sec. 521 DEFINITIONS.

4 16

Anchorage-Mat-SuGulf CoastInteriorNorthernSoutheastSouthwest

Geographical LocationIn the pages that follow, training opportunities in each region are listed by vocationalprogram area and by level. Program areas used are those currently found in theClassification of Instruction Programs issued by the Alaska Department of Education,with one exception. Because of the limited number of programs in the classification"Media Products", activity in this area has been reported under the"Communications/Media" subsection of "Industrial Education".

This modified classification system, which is used throughout this report, is reproducedbelow:

Natural Resources/AgricultureBusiness and ManagementBusiness and OfficeMarketingFamily/Consumer ScienceIndustrial EducationAllied HealthApplied AcademicsWork experience

For each region, subprograms under each of these classifications are indicated. Forexample, under Agriculture/Natural Resources, opportunities are listed in Agriculture,Fisheries, Forestry, Natural Resource Management, etc. Most of the classifications areself-explanatory. However, the area of Applied Academics may be unfamiliar to somereaders. Basically, applied academics is an integration of occupational applications intostandard academic classes. Applied Mathematics, for example, would teach basicmathematics principles by demonstrating applications of the principles to real worksituations. Applied academics courses maintain high content standards, consistent withstandards in the traditional academic programs. In a few instances, programs offered donot fall neatly into one of the above classifications. These exceptions are listed under"Other".

Training opportunities are listed by level. "Sec." refers to secondary level, grades 9through 12. "Cert." indicates that a certificate is given at the postsecondary level. Ingeneral, certificate programs require one year of training. "AAS" indicates Associate ofApplied Science, a two year degree offered by an accredited postsecondary institution. If

no level is indicated for a program at a particular institution, then the training is short-term only or a full program leading to a certificate/degree is not offered.

Program listings were obtained from Department of Education records (secondary),college and university catalogs, the Directory of Postsecondary Education published bythe Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education, interviews and annual reports ofvarious agencies. Efforts were made to make the regional listings as complete andcomprehensive as possible. However, no doubt some agencies and/or programs havebeen inadvertently omitted, for which the author apologizes.

A synopsis of the various regions in terms of percentage of statewide population,workforce, employment, and secondary/postsecondary vocational enrollment, togetherwith the current unemployment rate, is displayed in the following table.

Table 1: Regional Characteristics

Region% population % workforce

(eat. 6/96) (2/97)

% employ-ment

(2/97)

unemploy- % Secondaryment rate enrollment

(2/97) 1995-96

% Postsec.enrollment

1995-96Anchorage 50.2% 53.4% 54.3% 7.5% 44.8% 32.8%Gulf Coast 10,1;% 15.4% 162%- 15.8%Interior 15.9°. 16.4°,0 15.1% 10.8% 14.9% 28.8%flOr1hern 7.°/. 2 :10' 7% 1.7k:Southeast 12.7% 12.4% 11.1% 12.7% 17.9%Southwest :: 6. 52/ 5.3% 6:6% 42%

20

6

Anchorage/Mat-Su RegionThe largest in terms of population, this region, not surprisingly, has the richest variety oftraining available to its residents. The census areas included in the region are theAnchorage Borough and the Matanuska-Susitna Borough. Among its unique trainingresources are the King Career Center, operated by the Anchorage School District, the newAviation Technology facility operated by the University of Alaska and the $20 millionJob Corps Center in Palmer.

The region accounts for approximately 45% of the secondary course enrollment andnearly one-third of the public university enrollment. In addition, most of the privately-offered career education in the state is headquartered in Anchorage, as are many unionapprenticeship program offices. The Alaska Operating Engineers operates a $5 millionfacility at Palmer which trains in heavy equipment operation.

The University of Alaska's major allied health training effort is centered at the Anchoragecampus and has a statewide focus. UAA is also responsible for statewide delivery of amaster's degree in vocational education. The statewide air traffic controller program,located at UAA, uses state-of-the-art equipment found no where else in the nation. Mat-Su Campus has statewide responsibility for associate degrees and certificates inrefrigeration and heating.

Articulated agreements between UAA and the Anchorage School District have been ineffect for many years, offering secondary students the opportunity to transition easilyfrom high school to postsecondary training in seven program areas. Mat-Su has taken theleadership in the state's Tech Prep efforts, forging interagency agreements between theschool district and UAA-Mat-Su. These agreements are detailed in the section onTransition, later in this report.

The region employs 156,423 persons, nearly 55 percent of the state's total employment.Its unemployment rate as of February 1, 1997 of 7.5 percent was the second lowest in thestate after to the Southwest region. The following chart displays the regional trainingopportunities identified from documents and interviews.

217

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27

Gulf Coast RegionThis region includes the census regions of Kenai Peninsula Borough, Kodiak IslandBorough and Valdez-Cordova. The region accounts for approximately 16 percent of thestate's secondary vocational education course enrollment, which ranks it second after theAnchorage/Mat-Su region.

Among the strengths of the vocational education system in the Gulf Coast region is thearticulated secondary/postsecondary programs on the Kenai Peninsula which involve theschool district, the Kenai Peninsula and Kachemak Bay campuses of the University ofAlaska and the Alaska Vocational Technical Center (AVTEC) at Seward.

AVTEC is a major training resource for the region and the state. In addition to offeringon-site programming in several occupational clusters, it provides off-site training tovarious industries around the state. It has worked extensively with communities involvedin the Community Development Quota (CDQ) program, offering training in boatbuilding, fishing methods and marine safety. AVTEC also provides classroom-relatedinstruction for individual company apprenticeship programs and assists firms in meetingfederal Bureau of Apprenticeship education requirements.

The region also includes Alaska's only community college, Prince William Sound, atValdez. PWSCC offers several programs directly related to its location at the terminusof the Trans Alaska pipeline, in particular an annual Oil Spill Response and ReadinessSymposium. Students may also obtain an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree inOil Spill Response.

The Kenai Peninsula Campus at Soldotna has statewide responsibility for the university'scertificate and associate degree programs in petroleum technology. Currently, the Kenaicampus has an agreement with Sakhalin Island to provide petroleum exploration trainingfor local residents. AVTEC provides additional certificate and short-term petroleum-related training.

The Gulf Coast region experiences the highest unemployment rate in Alaska: 15.4percent as of February 1, 1997. Kenai Borough, at 18.4 percent unemployment, tops allAlaska census regions. The region employs 29,023 persons, just over 10 percent of thestate's total employment.

Training opportunities found the region are displayed on the following chart.

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14

33

Interior RegionThe Interior Region includes the census areas of Fairbanks North Star Borough, SoutheastFairbanks and Yukon Koyukuk. It accounts for about 15 percent of the state's secondaryvocational education enrollment and one-fourth of postsecondary enrollment. Totalsecondary vocational program size ranges from 3,902 course hours at Fairbanks to 34 atDenali. The school districts in the region include some of the most geographically-disbursed Regional Education Attendance Areas, such as Yukon-Koyukuk, Yukon Flatsand Iditarod.

At the public postsecondary level, Tanana Valley (TVC) assumed the responsibilities ofthe School for Career and Continuing Education at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks,on July 1, 1992. As such, it is the Fairbanks campus' main unit for promoting,coordinating and delivering vocational-technical career training. TVC spearheaded aconsortium of secondary vocational education program in the Interior, which providedtechnical assistance and program articulation for school districts in the region. Theconsortium has evolved into a regional vocational technical program centered at Galena.

UAF College of Rural Alaska operates additional training programs through the InteriorCampus, which has centers in Ft. Yukon, McGrath and Tok. Courses at the InteriorCampus sites are offered by distance delivery, itinerant instructors and correspondence aswell as limited on-site instruction. The region also has several private career educationprograms as well as two regional union apprenticeship programs.

The region's unemployment rate in February, 1997, stood at 10.8 percent. It has thesecond largest employed work force of the regions: 43,506 or a little more than 15percent of the state's total employment.

35

15

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36

16

37

INT

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. Gal

ena

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Sec

: Gal

ena

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Idita

rod

Cer

t: U

AF

-TV

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ert:

UA

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enan

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ukon

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on F

lats

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Die

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-TV

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-Int

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38

17

39

INT

ER

IOR

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R;A

PP

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vice

s T

ech

Com

mun

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ions

AA

S; U

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-TV

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ec: Y

ukon

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ukuk

Sec

: Del

ta/G

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ec: F

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anks

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uman

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vice

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lio/C

hem

Sec

: Gal

ena

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t: U

AF

-Int

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ec: F

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anks

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k

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aleg

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mat

ics

Sec

: Nen

ana

AA

S: U

AF

-TV

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ec: D

elta

/Gre

ely

Sec

: Yuk

on-K

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uk

Sec

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rban

ks

Sec

: Idi

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ntic

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1841

40

Northern RegionThis region encompasses the census districts of Nome, North Slope Borough andNorthwest Arctic Borough.

The region is the smallest of the six with respect to secondary vocational educationcourse enrollment, accounting for a little more than 5 percent of total enrollment. Itsemployed labor force of 7,986 is also the smallest of the regions, and represents under 3percent of the state's total. The unemployment rate of 10.7 percent is the third lowest inthe state, after the Southwest and Anchorage areas. The region's economy is resource-extraction based and includes the Red Dog mine near Kotzebue as well as Prudhoe Bay.

The region is served by three public postsecondary institutions: Chukchi Campus and theAlaska Technical Center (ATI) in Kotzebue and Ilisagvik College in Barrow, all of whichoffer outreach programs to the surrounding villages.

ATI has a close relationship with COMINCO, the operators of the Red Dog mine and thelargest employers in the region. Ilisagvik College serves the occupation needs of theNorth Slope Borough and assists the borough's subcontractors to increase local hires.

Training opportunities found in the region are presented in the following pages.

42

19

NO

RT

HE

RN

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GIO

N

AG

/NA

TU

RA

L R

ES

OU

RC

ES

Fis

herie

s/H

atch

erie

s

Sec

: Ber

ing

Str

ait

Sec

: NW

Arc

tic

Wild

life

Man

agem

ent

Sec

: NW

Arc

tic

Mis

c. N

at. R

esou

rces

Sec

: NW

Arc

tic

Sec

: Nom

e

Ren

ewab

le R

esou

rces

AA

S: U

AF

-Chu

kchi

AA

S: U

AF

-Nor

thw

est

BU

SIN

ES

SG

ener

al B

usin

ess

!Sec

: Ber

ing

Str

ait

;Acc

ount

ing

'Sec

: Ber

ing

Str

ait

Sec

: Nom

eiS

ec; N

W A

rctic

Sec

: Nor

th S

lope

1Cer

t:A

K T

ech

Cen

ter

App

lied

Bus

ines

s

:AA

S: U

AF

-Nor

thw

est

UA

F-N

orth

wes

t

:UA

F-C

hukc

hi

43

OF

FIC

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eepi

ng(B

ookk

eepi

ng)

Sec

: Ber

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pute

r A

pplic

atio

ns

; Sec

: Ber

ing

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ait

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: NW

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ticS

ec: N

orth

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pe:S

ec: B

erin

g S

trai

tS

ec: N

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rctic

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ing/

Key

boar

ding

; Sec

: Ber

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ait

, Sec

: Nom

e

Sec

: NW

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ticS

ec: N

orth

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reta

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Offi

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anag

emen

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AA

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AF

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UA

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20

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AR

KE

TIN

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Mar

ketin

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Sec

: Ber

ing

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lEnt

repr

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p/S

mal

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usin

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Sec

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Sec

: NW

Arc

tic

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rism

Sec

: Ber

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FA

MIL

Y/C

ON

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RG

ener

al

Sec

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tic

Chi

ld C

are/

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men

t

<S

ec: B

erin

g S

trai

tS

ec: N

ome

Sec

: NW

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ticS

ec: N

orth

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pe

Clo

thin

g/D

esig

n

Sec

: Nom

e

Sec

: Nor

th S

lope

Life

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llsS

ec: B

erin

g S

trai

tS

ec: N

ome

Sec

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Arc

ticS

ec: N

orth

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pe

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ritio

n/F

ood

Sec

: Ber

ing

Str

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Sec

: Nom

e

44

IND

US

TR

IAL

ED

UC

AT

ION

'Com

mun

icat

ions

/Med

ia'

Sec

: Ber

ing

Str

ait

Sec

: Nom

e

Sec

: NW

Arc

tic

<S

ec: N

orth

Slo

pe

Cos

met

olog

y',S

ec: N

orth

Slo

peC

ert:

Ilisa

gvik

Col

lege

Ele

ctro

nics

Nor

thw

est

'Sec

: Ben

ng S

trai

t

Prin

cipl

es o

f Tec

h/S

hop

'Sec

: Ber

ing

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Sec

: NW

Arc

ticS

ec: N

orth

Slo

pe

4ons

truc

tion

;Sec

: Ber

ing

Str

ait

"Sec

: Nom

eA

AS

' llis

agvi

k C

olla

ge:C

art:

AK

Tec

h C

ente

r

iPlu

mbi

ng

AA

S: I

lisag

Vak

Cer

t: A

K T

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NO

RT

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upat

ions

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an S

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ch.

!Sec

: Ber

ing

Str

ait

AA

S: I

lisag

vak

Col

lege

Sec

: Ber

ing

Str

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Sec

: Nom

eU

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kchi

YS

ec: N

ome

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t: A

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ech

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ch C

ente

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AF

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: NW

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ticS

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ting

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mun

ity H

ealth

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t: A

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ech

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aste

wat

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AS

: UA

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risto

l Bay

AA

ST

: Ilis

agva

k C

olle

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AS

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orth

wes

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er P

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Ilisa

gvak

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lege

Occ

upat

iona

l Saf

ety

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tifie

d N

urse

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t.Ili

sagv

ak C

olle

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AK

Tec

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hani

cs/A

uto

Sec

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ing

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ait

EM

S

Sec

: NW

Arc

ticU

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kchi

AA

S: I

lisag

vak

UA

F-N

orth

wes

t

Cer

t: Ili

sagv

ak

Med

ical

Ter

min

olog

yH

eavy

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ry M

ech

1AK

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h C

ente

rA

AS

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agva

k C

olle

ge

Sm

all E

ngin

esS

ec: N

ome

Met

als/

Wel

ding

Sec

: Ber

ing

Str

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Sec

: Nom

eS

ec: N

W A

rctic

Cer

t: Ili

sagv

akA

AS

: Ilis

agva

k 4521

46

Southeast RegionThe Southeast Region includes the following census areas: Haines Borough, JuneauBorough, Ketchikan Gateway Borough, Prince of Wales, Sitka Borough, Skagway-Yakutat-Angoon and Wrangell-Petersburg. The region accounts for about 13 percent ofthe secondary vocational education course enrollment.

Among the programs offered in the region are those through the Sitka EducationConsortium, which involves joint program planning and shared resources among fourinstitutions: Sitka School District, the University of Alaska Southeast Sitka Campus, Mt.Edgecumbe High School and Sheldon Jackson College. The consortium offersarticulated programs in health occupations, public safety, early childhood education andrural sanitation. Other training resources include the Juneau and Ketchikan campuses ofUAS and the Southeast Regional Resource Center (the Alaska Vocational Institute).

The region's employed work force of 35,792 represents around 13 percent of the state'stotal. Its unemployment rate of 11.1 percent is the second highest in the state, due in partto the precipitous decline in forest-related harvesting and processing employment.Assistance for displaced forestry workers provides a major challenge for the vocationaltraining delivery system of the region. Transition centers in Sitka and Ketchikan forworkers affected by mill closings represent a cooperative effort of the University system,private institutions, JTPA and the local communities,

23

47

SO

UT

HE

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ION

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/NA

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ICE

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ON

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ME

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CA

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s/ H

atch

erie

sG

ener

alB

usin

ess

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ord

Kee

ping

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ketin

gG

ener

alC

omm

unic

atio

ns/M

edia

(Boo

kkee

ping

)S

ec: C

hath

amS

ec: A

nnet

te;S

ec: H

aine

sS

ec: J

unea

u, S

ec: C

raig

Sec

: Cha

tham

Sec

: Cra

ig>

Sec

: Cha

tham

Sec

: Hoo

nah

iSec

: Sitk

a, S

ec: H

aine

sS

ec: H

aine

sS

ec: H

aine

sS

ec: H

ydab

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:Sec

: Jun

eau

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ISec

: Hoo

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: Hyd

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g:S

ec: J

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ec: K

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ec: H

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urg

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: Jun

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: Kak

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ec: K

etch

ikan

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: Sitk

aiS

ec: C

raig

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: Kla

woc

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ec: M

t. E

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: Ket

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ec: K

law

ock

;Sec

: Yak

utat

!Sec

: Jun

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: Sitk

aS

ec: S

kagw

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ec: P

elic

an:S

ec: S

outh

east

'Sec

: Ket

chik

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ec: S

outh

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: Wra

ngel

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rang

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pute

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: Wra

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akut

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:Acc

ount

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: Cha

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outh

east

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ld C

are/

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t: S

held

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ack

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: Cha

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: Ann

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AS

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ldon

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nes

;Sec

:

Sec

: Cha

tham

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g'S

ec: H

aine

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ec: H

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ec: H

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ec: H

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.Sec

: Jun

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ake

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chik

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ake

,Sec

: Sitk

aS

ec: K

etch

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AA

S: S

held

on J

ack

Sec

: Pet

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Sec

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woc

kS

ec: S

outh

east

;Sec

: Mt.

Edg

ecum

be[E

lect

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ldon

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kS

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itka

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Edg

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AK

Von

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a!S

ec: M

t. E

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an1A

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S-J

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ec: S

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esou

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Mng

tS

ec: W

rang

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Sec

: Pet

ersb

urg

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pita

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Mng

t'C

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UA

S-J

unea

uA

AS

: She

ldon

Jac

k'C

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UA

S-J

unea

uS

ec: S

itka

AA

S: U

AS

-Jun

eau

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t: A

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UA

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Voc

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"Sec

: Jun

eau

Sec

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a'A

AS

: UA

S-J

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u:S

ec: P

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outh

east

AA

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UA

S-K

etch

ikan

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info

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tem

s:A

AS

UA

S-K

etch

ikan

Sec

: Sitk

aS

ec: W

rang

ell

EM

S: S

held

on J

ack

AA

S: U

AS

-Jun

eau

Cer

t: U

AS

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etch

ikan

Sec

: Yak

utat

Cer

t She

ldon

Jac

kson

AA

S: U

AS

-Ket

chik

anLi

fe S

kills

AA

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a'S

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nnet

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pera

tions

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AS

-Jun

eau

Sec

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nes

(Sec

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tham

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l' S

held

on J

acks

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UA

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etch

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nah

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raig

2449

48

SO

UT

HE

AS

T R

EG

ION

BU

SIN

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SO

FF

ICE

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MIL

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ON

SU

ME

RIN

DU

ST

RIA

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CA

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NIN

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ST

RIA

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D;IN

DU

ST

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L E

DB

usin

ess

Ope

ratio

ns (

cont

.)B

us In

fo S

yste

ms

(con

t.)Li

fe S

kills

(co

n's)

Con

stru

ctio

n (c

ont.)

Die

sel M

echa

nics

Met

als/

Wel

ding

AA

S: S

held

on J

acks

onC

ert:

UA

S-S

ltka

Sec

: Jun

eau

Sec

: Ket

chik

an

Sec

: Hai

nes

Sec

: Hyd

abur

g

Cer

t: U

AS

-Jun

eau

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nnet

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iSec

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tham

Bus

. Law

, Mng

tB

usin

ess

Com

mS

ec: M

t. E

dgec

umbe

Sec

. Jun

eau

Pow

er M

echa

nics

Sec

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igS

ec: A

nnet

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ec: H

ydab

urg

Sec

: Pet

ersb

urg

Sec

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eA

AS

: UA

S-J

unea

u:S

ec: H

aine

sS

ec: H

aine

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ec: J

unea

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ec: S

itka

Sec

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chik

anS

ec: H

ydab

urg

Sec

: Jun

eau

Sec

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aS

ec: S

kagw

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ee: K

iaw

ock

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all E

ngin

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ec: J

unea

u

Sec

: Mt.

Edg

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beS

ec: J

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ec: W

rang

ell

Sec

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gway

Sec

: Ann

ette

Sec

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eS

ec: S

outh

east

Sec

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tham

!Sec

. Kia

woc

k

Key

boar

ding

Nut

ritio

n/F

ood

Sec

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utat

Sec

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nes

Sec

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Sec

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AA

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AS

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Sec

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Sec

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AS

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l

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Sec

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ette

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akut

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Sec

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urg

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aS

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h

'Sec

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aS

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See

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rang

ell

Sec

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e'z

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etch

kan

Sec

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ign/

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law

ock

Sec

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nes

Offi

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imul

atio

nS

ec: H

aine

sS

ec: S

itka

;Sec

: Hoo

nah

Sec

: Ann

ette

Sec

: Jun

eau

Sec

: Sou

thea

stS

ec: J

unea

u

Sec

: Cra

ig

Sec

: Hai

nes

Sec

: Sitk

aS

ec: W

rang

ell

Sec

: Yak

utat

,S

ec: K

etch

ikan

Sec

: Sitk

a

Sec

: Hoo

nah

Com

mer

cial

Car

t: U

AS

-Jun

eau

;Sec

: Sou

thea

st

Sec

: Jun

eau

Sec

: Ann

ette

51.

25

SO

UT

HE

AS

T R

EG

ION

OF

FIC

EF

AM

ILY

/CO

NS

UM

ER

-IN

DU

ST

RIA

L E

DIN

DU

ST

RIA

L E

DI A

LLIE

D H

EA

LTH

Offi

ce S

imul

atio

n (c

ont.)

Com

mer

cial

(co

nt.)

Die

sel M

echa

nics

Met

als/

Wel

ding

Hea

lth

Sec

: Kak

e!S

ec: H

aine

s:C

ert:

UA

S-J

unea

uS

ec: A

nnet

teI S

ec: M

t. E

dgec

umbe

Sec

: Ket

chik

an,S

ec: J

unea

uS

ec: C

hath

amS

ec: S

itka

Sec

: Pet

ersb

urg

Pow

er M

echa

nics

Sec

: Cra

igS

ec: S

itka

,AA

S: U

AS

-Jun

eau

Sec

: Hai

nes

j Hea

lth In

to S

yste

ms

Sec

: Ska

gway

Sec

: Hyd

abur

gii

AA

S: U

AS

-Sitk

a

Sec

: Wra

ngel

l`S

mal

l Eng

ines

Sec

: Jun

eau

Sec

: Yak

utat

'Sec

: Ann

ette

Sec

: Kak

eN

urse

Aid

eS

ec: C

hath

amS

ec: K

iaw

ock

Cer

t: A

K V

oc In

stit

Offi

ce M

ngt/T

ech

Sec

: Hai

nes

Sec

: Pet

ersb

urg

AK

Voc

Inst

itute

Sec

: Hyd

abur

gS

ec: S

itka

Sec

: Jun

eau

Sec

: Wra

ngel

lS

ec: K

ake

Sec

: Sitk

aS

ec: S

outh

east

j Sec

: Yak

utat

Dra

fting

'Sec

: Ann

ette

Sec

: Cha

tham

Sec

: Hai

nes

Sec

: Hoo

nah

Sec

: Jun

eau

Sec

: Ket

ch ik

anS

ec: S

itka

Sec

: Sou

thea

st

5226

OT

HE

R

!Law

Enf

orce

men

t

(Car

t: U

AS

-Sitk

a

!Pub

lic S

afet

y A

cade

my

1 Par

aleg

al

;AA

S: U

AS

-Jun

eau

App

rent

ices

hip

Tec

hnol

ogy

AA

S: U

AS

-Jun

eau

AA

S: U

AS

-Ket

chik

anM

S: U

AS

-Sitk

a

53

SO

UT

HE

AS

T R

EG

ION

AP

PLI

ED

AC

AD

EM

ICS

WO

RK

EX

PE

RIE

NC

EC

omm

unic

atio

ns'S

ec: C

hath

amS

ec: A

nnet

teS

ec: S

ec: C

raig

Sec

: Jun

eau

isec

: Hai

nes

Sec

: Hyd

abur

gB

lo/C

hem

Sec

: Jun

eau

Sec

: Hoo

nah

Sec

: Kia

woc

kS

ec: P

eter

sbur

gM

athe

mat

ics

;Sec

: Sitk

aS

ec: A

nnet

teS

ec: S

kagw

ayS

ec: H

oona

h"S

ec: S

outh

east

Sec

: Sitk

aS

ec: W

rang

ell

Sec

: Ska

gway

Sec

: Yak

utat

Sec

: Wra

ngel

l

iSch

ool -

to-A

ppre

ntic

eshi

pS

ec: J

unea

uS

ec: K

etch

ikan

5

27

Southwest RegionThe final region of the state includes the census areas of Aleutian Islands, Bethel, BristolBay Borough, Dillingham and Wade Hampton. It accounts for slightly more than 6percent of the state's total secondary vocational education course enrollment.

Active tech prep, School to Work and other articulated programs between secondary andpostsecondary institutions characterize the Bethel area, where the Lower KuskokwimSchool District partners with the Kuskokwim Campus of UAF. The Bristol Bay Campusprovides degree and certificate training for the southern part of the area.

The region's employed labor force of 15,266 is the second smallest in the state,accounting for 5.3 percent of total Alaskan employment in February, 1997. Theunemployment rate is 6.6%, the lowest of any census region. However, rates within theregion range from 1.6 percent in the Aleutians East Borough to 11.4 percent in BristolBay and 10.6 percent in Wade Hampton.

Fisheries-related employment characterizes the region, leading to significant seasonalityin some areas. The region's year-around economy has been given a recent boost with theintroduction of the Community Development Quotas for certain species of fish. CDQpartnerships between processors and local communities has opened short-term trainingopportunities for local residents in some areas..

The training opportunities available in the region are detailed on the following chart.

56

29

SO

UT

HW

ES

T R

EG

ION

AG

/NA

TU

RA

L R

ES

OU

RC

ES

Fis

herie

s/H

atch

erie

s

Sec

: Low

er Y

ukon

Sec

: Ale

utia

n R

egio

nS

ec: A

leut

ian

Eas

t

Sec

: Dill

ingh

amS

ec: L

ake

and

Pen

Sec

: Una

lask

aS

TE

P: Y

ukon

/Del

ta F

ishe

ries

ST

EP

: Coa

stal

Vill

ages

CD

Q

Wild

life

Man

agem

ent

Sec

: Lak

e an

d P

en

Mis

c. N

at. R

esou

rces

Sec

: Low

er K

usko

kwim

Ren

ewab

le R

esou

rces

AA

S: U

AF

-Bris

tol B

ayA

AS

: UA

F-K

usko

kwim

BU

SIN

ES

SG

ener

al B

usin

ess

Pec

: Low

er K

usko

kwim

lSec

: Low

er Y

ukon

;Sec

: Ale

utia

n R

egio

n

Sec

: Ale

utia

n E

ast

AA

S: U

AF

-Bris

tol B

ayIA

AS

; UA

F-K

usko

kwim

Acc

ount

ing

!Sec

: Low

er K

usko

kwim

!See

: Low

erY

ukon

Sec

: Ale

utia

n E

ast

Sec

: Bris

tol B

ay

Mis

c. (

Bus

ines

s La

w,

,Man

agem

ent

pee:

Sou

thw

est R

egio

npe

c: D

illin

gham

OF

FIC

ER

ecor

d K

eepi

ng(B

ookk

eepi

ng)

Sec

: Low

er K

usko

kwim

Sec

: Low

er Y

ukon

Sec

: St.

Mar

ys

Sec

: Kas

huna

miu

tS

ec: U

nala

ska

Sec

: Ale

utia

n E

ast

Com

pute

r A

pplic

atio

nsS

ec: L

ower

Kus

kokw

imS

ec: L

ower

Yuk

onS

ec: K

ashu

nam

iut

Sec

: St.

Mar

ysS

ec: Y

upiit

Sec

: Ale

utia

n R

egio

n

Sec

: Ale

utia

n E

ast

Sec

: Bris

tol B

ay'S

ec: D

illin

gham

:Sec

: Prib

ilofs

; UA

F-B

risto

l Bay

UA

F-K

usko

kwim

Bus

ines

s C

omm

unic

atio

nsS

ec: D

illin

gham

Typ

ing/

Key

boar

ding

!Sec

: Low

er K

usko

kwim

Sec

: Low

er Y

ukon

Sec

: Yup

iitS

ec: A

leut

ian

Reg

ion

Sec

: Bris

tol B

ayS

ec: D

illin

gham

30

MA

RK

ET

ING

(Mar

ketin

g

Sec

: Low

er Y

ukon

lEnt

repr

eneu

rshi

p/S

mal

lB

usin

ess

Pec

: St.

Mar

y's

Sec

: Ale

utia

n R

egio

n:S

ec: A

leut

ian

Eas

t

!FA

MIL

Y/C

ON

SU

ME

RG

ener

al

Sec

: Low

er K

usko

kwim

Sec

: Low

er Y

ukon

i Sec

: Sou

thw

est R

egio

n

Sec

: Yup

iit'S

ec: A

leut

ian

Reg

ion

Sec

: Ale

utia

n E

ast

Sec

: Bris

tol B

ay

4 C

hild

Car

e/D

evel

opm

ent

Sec

: Dill

ingh

amiS

ec: L

ower

Kus

kokw

imS

ec: L

ower

Yuk

onS

ec: S

outh

wes

t Reg

ion

Sec

: St.

Mar

ys5i I S

ec: A

leut

ian

Eas

tS

ec: L

ake

and

Pen

:AA

S: U

AF

-Bris

tol B

ayA

AS

: UA

F-K

usko

kwim

Clo

thin

g/D

esig

n;S

ec: D

illin

gham

Sec

: Low

er K

usko

kwim

'Sec

: Low

er Y

ukon

Sec

: Lak

e an

d P

en

Life

Ski

llsS

ec:

Sec

: Low

er K

usko

kwim

Sec

: Sou

thw

est R

egio

nS

ec: S

t. M

ary'

sS

ec: A

leut

ian

Reg

ion

Sec

: Bris

tol B

ay

5.8

IND

US

TR

IAL

ED

Com

mun

icat

ions

/Med

ia

Sec

: Kas

huna

miu

t'S

ec: L

ower

Kus

kokw

imS

ec: L

ower

Yuk

on

'Sec

: Lak

e an

d P

en

Ele

ctro

nics

Sec

: Low

er K

usko

kwim

>P

rinci

ples

of T

ech/

Sho

p-S

ec: D

illin

gham

Sec

: Kas

huna

miu

tS

ec: L

ower

Kus

kokw

int

<S

ec: S

outh

wes

t Reg

ion

'Sec

: Prib

ilofs

'Sec

:U

nala

ska

Bui

ldin

g:S

ec: D

illin

gham

Sec

: Kas

huna

miu

t

Sec

: Low

er K

usko

kwim

(Sec

: LoW

er Y

ukon

iSec

: St.

Mar

y's

Sec

: Yup

iitS

ec: A

leut

ian

Reg

ion

Sec

: Ale

utia

n E

ast

Sec

: Bris

tol B

ayS

ec. L

ake

and

Pen

Sec

: Una

lask

a

Mec

hanI

cs/A

uto

Sec

: Dill

ingh

am[S

ec: L

ower

Kus

kokw

im

OF

FIC

EO

ffice

Sim

ulat

ion

Sec

: Low

er K

usko

kwim

Sec

: Low

er Y

ukon

Sec

: St.

Mar

y's

Sec

: Yup

iitS

ec: D

illin

gham

Sec

: Ale

utia

n E

ast

Sec

: Bris

tol B

ayS

ec: L

ake

and

Pen

Offi

ce M

angt

frec

hnol

ogy

AA

S-U

AF

-Bris

tol B

ayA

AS

: UA

F-K

usko

kwim

59

FA

MIL

Y /C

ON

SU

ME

R

Nut

ritio

n/F

ood

Sec

: Dill

ingh

am1S

ec: L

ower

Kus

kokw

im`S

ec: S

outh

wes

t Reg

ion

'Sec

: Ale

utia

n R

egio

nS

ec: L

ake

and

Pen

'Hom

eS

ec: D

illin

gham

Sec

: Yup

iitC

omm

erci

al (

food

),S

ec: K

ashu

nam

iut

'Sec

: Low

er K

usko

kwim

SO

UT

HW

ES

T R

EG

ION

IND

US

TR

IAL

ED

IND

US

TR

IAL

ED

,HE

ALT

HO

TH

ER

Sec

: Low

er Y

ukon

Woo

dwor

king

Hea

lth O

ccup

atio

nsH

uman

Ser

vice

tech

Sec

: Ale

utia

n E

ast

,Sec

: Dill

ingh

amS

TE

P: Y

/K H

ealth

Cor

pU

AF

-Bns

tol B

ayS

ec: L

ake

and

Pen

Sec

: Low

er K

usko

kwim

UA

F-K

usko

kwim

Sec

: Prib

ilofs

Sec

: Low

er Y

ukon

:Com

mun

ity H

ealth

Ser

vice

Sec

: Yup

iltA

AS

: UA

F-B

risto

l Bay

Sm

all E

ngin

es,S

ec: A

leut

ian

Reg

ion

AA

S: U

AF

-Kus

kokw

imS

ec: D

illin

gham

Sec

: Ale

utia

n E

ast

Sec

: Low

er K

usko

kwim

'Sec

: Bris

tol B

ayE

MS

'Sec

: Low

er Y

ukon

Sec

: Lak

e an

d P

enU

AF

-Bris

tol B

ayS

ec: S

t. M

ary'

sS

ec: P

ribilo

fsU

AF

-Kus

kokw

imS

ec: U

nala

ska

Sec

: Ale

utia

n E

ast

Sec

: Ale

utia

n R

egio

nB

oat B

uild

ing/

Mar

ine

Tec

hS

ec: B

risto

l Bay

Sec

: Yup

iitS

ec: L

ake

and

Pen

Sec

: Ale

utia

n E

ast

Sec

: Bris

tol B

ayD

rafti

ngS

ec: P

ribilo

fs; S

ec: D

illin

gham

Sec

: Kas

huna

miu

tA

viat

ion

!Sec

: Low

er K

usko

kwim

UA

F: B

risto

l Bay

Sec

: Low

er Y

ukon

UA

F: K

usko

kwim

Sec

: Yup

iit>

Sec

: Bris

tol B

ayA

irfra

me/

Pow

er M

ech

Sec

: Una

lask

aU

AF

: Bris

tol B

ayS

ec: L

ake

and

Pen

IMet

als/

Wel

ding

Sec

: Dill

ingh

amS

ec: L

ower

Kus

kokw

imS

ec: L

ower

Yuk

onS

ec: Y

upiit

Sec

: Ale

utia

n E

ast

Sec

: Bris

tol B

ayS

ec: L

ake

and

Pen

Sec

: Prib

ilofs

:Sec

: Una

lask

a

31

09

SO

UT

HW

ES

T R

EG

ION

AP

PLI

ED

AC

AD

EM

ICS

WO

RK

EX

PE

RIE

NC

EC

omm

unic

atio

nsW

ork

Exp

erie

nce

Cop

per

Riv

eriS

ec:

Dill

ingh

amiS

ec. L

ower

Kus

kokw

imB

lo/C

hem

;Sec

: Low

er Y

ukon

Sec

: Low

er K

usko

kwim

!Sec

: St.

May

sS

ec: A

leut

ian

Eas

tS

ec: A

leut

ian

Reg

ion

Sec

: Bris

tol B

ayM

athe

mat

ics

Sec

: Ale

utia

n E

ast

Sec

: Dill

ingh

amS

ec: P

ribilo

fsS

ec: L

ower

Kus

kokw

imS

ec: U

nala

ska

Sec

: Sou

thw

est R

egio

nS

ec: A

leut

ian

Eas

t

32

InstitutionAnother way of analyzing the current vocational education delivery system is to examinethe type of institution offering training in the various regions. Currently, vocationaltraining is operated by public secondary and postsecondary institutions, private non-profitagencies, unions and the private profit sector. For the purposes of this report, onlyoccupational training which is open to the public is counted. Therefore, on-the-jobtraining offered by both private and public employers to current employeesalthough amajor source of skill training in the stateis not included.

The training providers listed in the following tables have been identified through adocument search and interviews. Private service providers are those authorized by theAlaska Commission on Postsecondary Education (ACPE) to offer training in the state.ACPE regulations exempt some types of short-term training from the authorizationprocess and these opportunities are therefore not recorded.

It should be noted that although union apprenticeship programs are listed only in theregion in which the main school(s) is located, programs are often available statewidethrough outreach recruitment. All apprenticeship programs are open to the public; unionmembership is not an issue at the point of entry.

63

33

AN

CH

OR

AG

E/M

AT

-SU

'Sch

ool D

istr

icts

Pos

tsec

onda

ry'A

/TP

A/S

TE

PÙ

nion

Oth

erA

ncho

rage

Pub

licA

ncho

rage

PIC

;AK

Iron

wor

kers

App

rent

ices

hip

& T

rain

ing

Job

Cor

ps C

ente

rM

at-S

uU

AA

-Anc

hora

geA

lask

a Jo

int E

lect

rical

App

rent

ices

hip

& T

rain

ing

Pro

gram

Rai

npro

of R

oofin

gU

AA

-Mat

-Su

Ala

ska

Ope

ratin

g E

ngin

eers

/Em

ploy

ers

Tra

inin

g T

rust

Ala

ska

Sou

thce

ntra

l/Sou

thea

ster

s S

heet

Met

al W

orke

rsP

rivat

eA

ncho

rage

Are

a P

lum

bers

and

Pip

efitt

ers

AP

UI H

eat &

Fro

st In

sula

tors

& A

sbes

tos

Wor

kers

AE

1,10

Tec

h F

light

Bro

ther

hood

of P

aint

ers

& A

llied

Tra

des

Àir

Aca

dem

yS

outh

em A

K C

arpe

nter

's A

ppre

ntic

eshi

p &

Tra

inin

g P

rogr

amA

lask

a C

ompu

ter

Inst

'Anc

hora

ge A

rea

Labo

rers

Ala

ska

Tec

hnic

alT

rain

ing

Car

eer

Aca

dem

y

'Cen

ter

for

Em

p. E

d

Cha

rter

Col

lege

Cim

arro

n T

ech

Com

pass

Nor

th N

autic

al

Dou

ble

Hea

der

Bea

uty

Elit

e H

ospi

talit

y

Elm

endo

rf

Env

ironm

enta

lM

anag

emen

t<

Gat

ekey

Sch

ool

Hea

d of

Tim

e

Jon

Ant

hony

(Anc

hora

ge)

Met

roas

is (

Hai

r)

Nor

ther

n Li

ghts

Hai

r

Old

er p

erso

ns a

ctio

n

SS

T T

rave

l

Tak

e F

light

Tes

ting

Inst

itute

Tre

nd S

ette

rs

Val

ley

Hai

r (W

asill

a)

348

:5

64

GU

LF R

EG

ION

:Sch

ool d

istr

icts

"'Pos

tsec

onda

ry'J

TP

A/S

TE

P

Chu

gach

Pub

licR

egio

n V

Cor

dova

:UA

A-K

enai

Reg

ion

VI

'Ken

aiU

AA

- K

ache

mak

Bay

Kod

iak

PW

S C

orn

C

Val

dez

z U

AA

-Kod

iak

Priv

ate

New

Fro

ntie

r (S

oldo

tna)

Peo

ple

Cou

nt (

Ken

ai)

:Jon

Ant

hony

(S

oldo

tna)

Ren

ew U

(S

oldo

tna)

,AK

Fly

ing

(Ken

ai)

Uni

onO

ther

AV

TE

C (

Sew

ard)

INT

ER

IOR

RE

GIO

N

SC

hool

dilt

ricta

Pos

tsec

onda

ry:U

nion

'Ala

ska

Gat

eway

Pub

licF

airb

anks

PIC

Fai

rban

ks A

rea

Plu

mbe

rs a

nd P

ipef

itter

s

Cop

per

Riv

er>

UA

F-T

anan

a V

alle

yR

egio

n ii

Fai

rban

ks A

rea

She

et M

etal

Wor

kers

Del

taiG

reel

yU

AF

-Int

erio

rF

airb

anks

Are

a C

arpe

ntry

Den

ali

'Fai

rban

ks A

rea

Ele

ctric

al

Fai

rban

ks`P

rivat

eF

airb

anks

Are

a P

aint

ing

and

Alli

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Who is enrolled?Enrollment figures for vocational education and training programs present particularproblems to the researcher. For example, both the public school system and theUniversity of Alaska report enrollment by class, rather than by program. Thus, a studentwho is taking two or more vocational education classes appears two or more times in thetotal count. This duplicated counting makes it impossible to assess how many studentstake advantage of vocational education. To indicate the difference between course countssubmitted to the Department of Education for secondary funding purposes andunduplicated counts of actual students, the following table may be useful.

Table 2: Course Count and Unduplicated Count1995/96 School Year

District Course Count Unduplicated CountAnchorageFaiibanksJuneau

14,1698,9021,950

4,2792,4117895

Public School Foundation Formula funding, which is the major source of support forsecondary vocational education programs, is determined by a fairly complicated formulawhich translates course counts into Full Time Equivalents (I,TE), based on the number ofcourses offered per day. For example, a secondary school which is on a 6-period systemwould offer 6 courses per day. If a voc ed course is offered for one of these periods, itsenrollment would be divided by 6 to obtain an FIB figure. Generally, figures reported inthis report are duplicated counts rather than FIE, because FIB gives a distorted view ofhow many students are actually benefiting from vocational classes. For example, onestudent taking six vocational classes and six students taking one vocational class eachyield one FIE, yet the impact on total numbers of students is far different. A comparisonof duplicated count with FIB is given in the bottom two lines of Table 3.

The University's reporting systemwhich is by course also yields duplicated counts,since one person may be enrolled in more than one class. Although it is possible toobtain an FIB figure by multiplying enrollments by the number of credits given for theclass to yield a credit-hour count and then dividing by an average full-time load (forexample, 12 credit hours per semester for undergraduates), figures reported here are raw,duplicated enrollments. The choice to report in this manner was made because it was notalways possible to determine the appropriate credit hours, particularly for short-term

4 Unduplicated counts were obtained directly from Anchorage and Fairbanks, which keep these records forinternal purposes. Juneau School District supplied unduplicated information for the 1996/97 school yearbut had to calculate it specifically for this report. Other large districts were contacted to see if anunduplicated count could be obtained without a major effort, but this proved impossible.5 (1996/97 school year).

7 037

courses. Also, the counts, though duplicated, give a better picture of how many peopleare actually taking advantage of vocational courses.

Enrollment figures for other public institutions (AVTEC, Job Corps, etc.) areunduplicated head counts.

By institutionSecondary enrollment for the past school year is given below. Figures are by duplicatedcourse counts.

Table 3: 1995/96 Secondary Vocational Education Enrollments

School District1995/96

School Year School District1995/96

School YearAlaska Gateway 197 Kodiak Island Bor. Schools 750Aleutian Region Schools 12 Rus Puk Schools 94Aleutians East Bor. Schools 73 Lake & Peninsula Borough 72Anchorage Schools 14,169 Lower Kuskoliwim Schools 987Annette Island 228 Lower Yukon Schools 419Bering Strait 598 Mat-Su Borough Sahools' 3,036Bristol Bay 60 Nenana 88Chatham 81 Nome City Schools 250Chugach 54 North Slope Borough 464Copper River Schools 175 NW Arctic Borough' Schools 732Cordova City Schools 524 Pelican City Schools 3Craig City Schools 7 Peterstibig City Schools 305Delta/Greely Schools 349 Pribilof Islands Schools 59Denali Borough Schools 34 Sitka Borough Schools 669Dillingham 276 Skagway City Schools 86Fairbanks 3,902 Southeast Island 84Galena City Schools 21 Southwest Region Schools 13

292 St. Mary'sHoonah 143 Tanana 36

147 93Iditarod Area Schools 244 Valdez City Schools 286SUneiLi.BoriiUgh: SChbols 1,950 Wrahgellpity,SchoOle 187Kake City Schools 34 Yakutat City Schools 89Kashunamiut Scliabls 50 Yukon Flits Schools 180Kenai Borough Schools 4,590 Yukon/Koyukuk Schools 385Retchfkin 500 Yupiit 179Klawock City Schools 90

Public postsecondary enrollment figures are more difficult to determine, because theUniversity system does not have an approved course process such as that at the secondarylevel. Therefore, to obtain figures, it was necessary to identify courses which could beconsidered vocational because they applied to an AAS degree or a certificate. The countsin the following table are therefore only approximate. Totals are duplicated counts asdescribed above.

3871

Table 4: Public Postsecondary Vocational Training Enrollments1995-96/1996-97

Obi-11995/96

UAF-Fairbanks (duplicated count)Tanana Valley CampusChukchi CampusIntenor:CampusBristol Bay CampusNorthwest' CampusKuskokwim Campus

9,25958

41971,101

622594

TOtal 13831

PAS7-gneau (duplicated countJuneau

Sitka

Total

3,391

951

2,770

TOtal1995/9611i:

UAA-Anchorage (duplicated count)Anchorage 11,143.

Kenai Peninsula 1,564

Katchmak Campus 528Kodiak Campus 1,571

;Mat Su Campus 1 ,

PWSCC 2,694Total 19,418

Other Public Postsecondary(unduplicated count) Total 1995/96 Current YearIlisagvakAVTEC (Seward)ATI (Kotzebue)AVI {Juneau)Job Corps

t,719547697

5931

252

By characteristicOver the past decade, spurred in great part by federal Carl Perkins grant funds, vocationaleducation programs have been reworked to meet the needs of special populations:women, minorities, limited English-speaking students, the disabled, the disadvantagedand participants in programs nontraditional to their gender. Statistics on participation bythese special populations are kept by all secondary programs and to some degree bypublic postsecondary programs. Available information on participation of various ethnicgroups, by site, is displayed in the following tables.

Table 5: Secondary Enrollment by Gender and Ethnicity1995/96 School Year

Asian/Pacific AK Native/White Black Hispanic Islander Native Amer.

., .....M F M F M F M F M F

..StudenttiPurs 14,130 1 OP 1,136 899 490 472 915 907 4,9'.33 4,0111

FTE (hours/6) 2,391 1,717 189 150 82 79 153 151 821 669

Table 6: Secondary Enrollmentby Special Socio/Economic Characteristic

1995/96 School Year

Disadvantaged DisabledLimited EnglishSpeaking Ability

StudentowarsFTE (hours/6)

M

69931166

F

:423787

M

2564

427

F

1017

170

M

2769462

F .,2307

385

Table 7: UA Enrollments by Region/by Race1995-96 School Year

Region

AlaskaNative-Indian

Asian-Pacific

Islander Black Hispanic White

Other(includesaliens)

Anchorage 1,151 526 824 509 9,669 382buff 514 195 34 114 4,937 563Interior 1,973 123 638 121 8,024 64746466i:6 Jse 7 6 7 283 43SE 1,097 155 73 107 5,225 455SW 1,001 25 3 19 497 114

Total 6,070 1,031 1,578, .. .

877 28,635.,..

2,204

% Total enrollment 15.1% 2.6% 3.9% 2.2% 70.8% 5.5%

In what programs?

Enrollment by programSecondary enrollment reported above is spread across the occupational clustersrecognized by the Alaska Department of Education. As can be seen in the followingtable, three sectors (Business/Office, Family/Consumer Science, Trade and IndustrialEducation) dominate enrollment, accounting for 63.7 percent of the total. These threeareas encompass various general interest coursessuch as computer applications, life andparenting skills and basic tool usewhich are taken as electives by a broad cross-sectionof students and which account for a large part of the enrollment in the cluster. Forexample, parenting and life skills education courses make up 64 percent of the enrollmentin Family/Consumer Science. Computer applications/keyboarding courses account for82.4 percent of Business/Office enrollments, while general shop/auto mechanics coursesrepresent 33.6 percent of Trade and Industrial Education's enrollment.

73

40

Table 8: Secondary Enrollment by Occupational Cluster1995-96 School Year

White Black HispanicAsian/Pacific

IslanderAK NativeAm. Indian Total

Program Cluster M F M F M F M F M F

NEE,,,...;RiiiiiiiiiTift g 57: 3 4 0 1 0 3 5 165 124 632Business/Mngt 430 635 32 44 11 25 44 54 130 188 1593Business /Office 2,418: 2;561 188 1210 95 130 211 247 842 932 7,834Marketing 241 293 37 43 18 26 24 41 106 118 947Media 175 93 18 14 3 6 6 7 80 73 475Allied health 50 92 10 18 5 11 7 11

_5 16 225

FShitlitahitiMerConsumer 1,968 2,574 287 251 102 118 213 271 604 921 7,309OccupiliChal 52 67 171 1"1 8 40 34 240

Industrial Artsrtideliihif I :;!:4798 1252 157 77 .104 42 F:190 84 1,856 772 :;:i9;322

Tech Ed/I.A. 1335 434 85 20 29 12 74 42 311 159 2,501

TechniCalWork Experience 1123 1,222 144 129 53 53 75 91 449 460 3,799

Applied Acad 1,516 :985 163 86 60 48 67 46 335 '.1214 '''3520

Studeht holOrs 14,3 3$31 1 1 36 899 490 472 915 907 4 7A3 401 38;497FTE (hours /6) 2,391 1,717 189 150 82 79 153 151 821 669 6,400

The University of Alaska reported enrollments by vocational course. These courses havebeen grouped into broader occupational categories. Enrollments in these occupationalcategories for the past school year are shown in the following table.

Table 9: UA Enrollments by Occupational Category1995-96 School Year

Occupation

1995/96Enrollment

(duplicated) Occupation

1995/96Enrollment

(duplicated)Office/businessAaaa-i6.ai---

8,686.i...837

Industrial EdCatlyi,61iildhtiCd]i

1,171878

Drafting/architect 548 Electronics 1 092Surv9114thappipg: 332 ToUtis'hi 180

Aviation 2,264 Fire science 786

ac0.0.144.0t0 11!;$24 Fore:StryFood 772 Human services 5,325

ii[iiiiiiittli 2,864 Petroleum 1',880

Several other training facilities/programs reported enrollment by program. The followingtables display this information.

Table 10: Apprenticeships by Program

as of May, 19966

Apprenticeship MinorityCommunication/TranstbnitructionManufacturingtervicesOther

6

93

Female Total0 2287 947

5 1

0 2244

Table 11: AVTEC Enrollment by Program

Program MaleFY96Female Total Male

FY97Female Total

Mechanics 262 13 275 147 7 154Eiaineii/O.., ffice,.. 24 58 82 7 45 52Physical Plant tech 241 7 248 154 4 158FOtid service 52 16 68 42 24 66Oil Tech 364 4 368 146 3 149Forest 22 1 23 7 1 8Emergency med. 168 49 217 51 24 75Fie'heries 211 26 ig 87 8 2

Maritime 157 17 174 29 4 33Mist. 17 7)0.:;; 27

Total 1,518 201 1,719 670 120 697

Table 12: Job Corps Center Enrollment by Program(as of March, 1997)

Business/clericalHealth,Occupatians.Culinary ArtsChilcisDrhieloprrfenfWater/WastewaterAccounting Clerk

Program Number Program Number303024

2420g:

Carpentry 20Painting 20Heavy Equipment 16BUirdiiid'M6interi&i6e '24Electrician 24

Special Population Enrollment by ProgramEquity concerns require an examination of program enrollment by special populations.The following table provides this information for the secondary population. As can beseen, special population males are heavily concentrated in Trade and Industry, the moretraditional "shop" types of programs, while special population females are most likely tobe enrolled in family/consumer science and business/office courses. It is encouraging,however, to see that male/female enrollment for disadvantaged students is about equallydistributed in occupational family/consumer science, marketing and work experience.

6 Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training, State Annual Report: Alaska,May 14, 1996.

42 1/5

Table 13: Program by Special Population1995-96 School Year

Limited EnglishDisadvantaged Disabled Speaking Nontraditional

Program Cluster M F M F M

Natural Resources/Ag 205 117 65 11 78

Business/management 121, 153 28 18 77

Business/Office 1 080 990 393 243 491

Marketing 173 164 36 45 88

Media 102 78 23 10 51

Allied health 25 51 20 0 12

Family/ConsumerConsumer 1,008 1,175 455 304 398

Occupational 46 33 25 12 14

Industrial "Afig

Trade and I 2,273 736 853 107 778

Tech Ed /I.A. a4"-141 168 32 174

TechnicalWdkajWerie-hce 765 694 241 134 303

Applied Academics 691 371 257 71 305

Studeiitidurs 6,993. 2564 1417.: 2,769

F

5385

501

51710

37684

7805.i.

2152,307

M F

10 17

32 39

166 121

2 1

31 51

0 0

219 40

0 0

89 37318- 64

Enrollment by levelA final way of looking at enrollment is by training level. With the exception of thesecondary figures, all other figures in the following table are unduplicated body counts.

Table 14: Enrollment by Educational Level

1995196 giirediit 1995/96 CUrrent

Secondary 38,401 Short termIlisagvik

Postsecondary Degree AVTEC

S tA(6 ATI

BS in Technology 322

18VttiCitid

Postsecondary CertificateIlisa0akAVTEC

Job CorpsATI

AVI

1,432

JTPA47 Mb It 486

.

367 Older 27

252 Summer 444

59 Youth 196

IAVI 47 DiSlocated Worker: 411Nat'l Resources 216

App7renticesbip 17,092 islgp., 1;70.0

500

12

52

7643

How is it supported?

FundingThe major source of funding for vocational education in Alaska is the state's GeneralFund. Secondary programs receive support through the Public School FoundationProgram. University programs are supported through General Funds and tuition receipts.Both AVTEC and ATI receive state General Fund support.

STEP programs are funded through a portion of the state's Unemployment Insurancereceipts. Alaska Career Information System is supported by program receipts. Both ofthese sources reflect state support, since the state could have used these receipts for otherpurposes.

Federal funding is the second major source of support. Carl Perkins funds are distributedas grants to public secondary and postsecondary institutions. JTPA and Job Corps areboth totally federally funded.

Both secondary and postsecondary institutions receive local support from theircity/boroughs. Such support is minimal for many campuses of the University, but is amajor fund source for Prince William Sound Community College. Finally, some industryfunds support programs, particularly at the state's two technical centers.

The following tables present funding information which was available from publishedreports or from interviews. It does not include University of Alaska funding, which isdifficult to identify by program.

School District FundingAlaska school district currently receive state funding on an instructional units basis, withcertain numbers of students generating one instructional unit. All students in allprograms are first counted to yield general instructional units. The funds generated bysuch units are intended to cover the basic costs of educating a group of students: teachersalaries, supplies, materials, administrative and facility overhead. The state alsorecognizes that some students and programs require additional resources, such asspecialized equipment and facilities, additional staff support, and specialized supportservices. Additional, categorical funds are generated by these students and programs.The major categorical areas at present are: Special Education, Bilingual Education andVocational Education.

In the current Foundation program, then, school districts receive state funding forvocational education in two ways: first, vocational education students are counted as partof the total secondary school enrollment to generate funding for basic program support.Second, vocational education courses generate categorical funding, which is intended tosupport the additional equipment, material and facility upkeep costs of vocationalprograms.

The following table looks at expenditures for vocational education from both general andcategorical funding across districts. One question to be asked in presenting fiscalinformation from one period is how it compares with past periods. For the purposes ofsuch a comparison, this study looked at expenditures over the six-year period from the1990/91 school year (FY91) through the 1995/96 school year (FY96).

78

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105,

623

39,4

15

141

,986

268,

156

tii 4

,41

'"7

67,0

94

91,6

56

78,5

56

100,

797

172,

362

569,

232

251,

339

4,64

9,87

2. .

.....

.,

-11.

,846

;621

462,

460

186,

665

132,

988

11,9

57,9

24, .

.

-225

,816

20,0

61

206,

215

869,

760

151,

08, 33

,796

212,

788

223,

713

61, .

388

48,3

79

234,

567

301,

611

631:

566

97,4

13

71,5

12

81,5

00

112,

800

115,

210

812,

531

174,

614

4,68

8,28

6

16,3

44;1

84

,

459,

356

186,

773

116,

839

421,

595

218,

251

119,

272

12,1

96,2

23

15,4

43

272,

641

934,

234

92,1

15

29,3

47

169,

558

196,

359

12,8

21,8

03-

.24

2,56

9

18,9

39

250,

926

812,

252

74:4

01-

_43

,577

144,

651

211,

504

AW

NC

I i-O

tf.,A

hbs

BE

RIN

G S

TR

AIT

CH

AT

HA

M

CH

UG

AC

H

:CO

PP

ER

RIV

ER

DE

LTA

/GR

EE

LY

TD

ITA

RC

5D--

KA

SH

UN

AM

IUT

:KU

SP

UK

:::

LOW

ER

KU

SK

OK

WIM

165,

735

51,8

94

189,

693

332,

446

645,

766

64,5

15

75,7

62

77,4

71

143,

984

66,9

97

361,

853-

157,

963-

--4-

,15i

i,e96

209,

458

50,0

66

'147

,336

342,

395

568,

895

84,0

70

LOW

ER

YU

KO

N-

PR

IBIL

OF

RA

ILB

ELT

SO

UT

HE

AS

T

SO

UT

HW

ES

T

YU

KO

N F

LAT

S

Yur

airw

iko

%%

UR

I) k ...

i I Il

i I I

T

Tot

al -

RE

AR

',..

... .

_.

.

TO

TA

L-S

tate

68,8

19

77,5

52

24,0

75

72,7

81

-340

1414

6,6e

6

41,b

,64:

57:

....

...,

' Exc

ludi

ng A

dak

Reg

ion

Scho

ols,

whi

ch c

ease

d op

erat

ion

afte

r th

e 19

93/9

4 sc

hool

year

.

4882

Table 16 places vocational education expenditures in a larger context by tracing changesin vocational education expenditures, expenditures for the total instructional program,annual enrollments (Aggregate Daily Membership, or ADM) and annual vocationaleducation course enrollments (in FIE). An analysis of this information yields thefollowing interesting results.

Vocational education expenditures in City/Borough schools, which had been increasing ata modest rate over the period, declined by nearly 4 percent from the 1994/95 school yearto the 1995/96 year, although both total instructional expenditures and enrollmentscontinued to increase. Despite this decline, however, in nominal terms (unadjusted forinflation) expenditures for vocational education have increased by a little over 5 percentsince 1990/91.

The recent decline in vocational expenditures is more severe for the Regional EducationAttendance Areas (nearly 6 percent in FY95 and addition 2.5 percent in FY96). REAAvocational education spending ends up with a very modest 1.7 percent increase innominal terms over the period.

The figures for the state overall show a 4.5 percent increase in vocational expenditures,compared to a nearly 25 percent increase in total instructional expenditures and a 14percent positive change in enrollment. Table 16 also reveals a slight decrease (0.6percent) in vocational course enrollment from FY95 to FY96, after a significant (7.6percent) increase in FY95.

While the above figures would appear to imply a steady if slight growth in secondaryvocational education activity, when expenditure data is adjusted for inflation, the resultsare quite different. Table 17 shows that the Anchorage Consumer Price Index has grownby 13.7 percent over the period. The effect of this price increase on what funds canpurchase, in real terms, has been an 8 percent real decrease in vocational expenditures,compared to a 10 percent real increase in total instructional expenditures.

Similar figures on expenditures in the University system were not available. Although itis possible to trace expenditures at the various campuses from readily-available records, itis not possible to separate out vocational education expenditures with much accuracy.

49

83

Tab

le 1

6: C

hang

es in

Voc

atio

nal a

nd T

otal

Ins

truc

tiona

l Exp

endi

ture

sFY

91 th

ough

FY

96

FY

91F

Y92

FY

93F

Y94

FY

95F

Y96

Cha

nge

over

Per

iod

t1T

111§

erlO

UC

tl(ei

ia4n

g D

enal

i)T

otal

Voc

ed

18,1

43,1

4918

,492

932

19,2

31,5

2619

,506

,893

19,8

43,5

8419

,084

,521

5.19

%A

nnua

l Cha

nge

1.93

%3.

99%

1.43

%1.

73%

3.83

%T

otal

Inst

rUct

ion

404.

628,

875

445,

659,

966

'

470,

494,

630

493,

378,

320

506,

936,

6-77

512,

489,

560

26.6

6%A

nnua

l Cha

nge!

10:1

4°/0

5167

%4.

86%

1.53

%:

f3f°

A.

AD

M95

,602

100,

472

103,

306

106,

167

107,

473

109,

059

14.0

8%A

nnua

l Cha

nge;

haA

A(in

clud

itig

Den

ali)

2:82

%2.

77%

231)

/-F

46%

Tot

al v

oc e

d3,

960,

702

4 17

1,89

64,

049,

572

4,38

6,26

04,

130,

698

4,02

7,04

51.

68%

5:33

%8

31%

583%

-2.

Tot

al in

stru

ctio

n85

,259

,896

88,3

91,6

4689

,603

,440

93,2

32,4

8395

,613

,160

97,8

71,9

1914

.79%

Annual,ai

nge

a P

k':

1.37

%4.

05%

2.55

%2.

AD

M11

,854

12,1

6112

,666

13,0

1113

,279

13,8

3816

.73%

Ann

Ual

;;Cha

ogw

2.58

%2.

72%

;06%

:4:

21%

ALL

DIS

TR

ICT

ST

otal

Voc

Ed

22,1

03 8

5122

,664

828

23,2

81,0

9823

,893

,153

23 9

74,2

8223

,111

,566

4.56

%

Ann

ual;C

harf

g*2.

54%

2.72

%2.

63%

'0.3

4%-3

.60%

:Tot

al In

stru

ctio

n49

;688

,771

5305

1;61

a,'Z

60,0

9070

586,

616;

803

596,

549

;537

'T

610O

61;4

79C

24:5

-0%

9.01

%4.

88%

4.73

%1.

69%

2.32

%

AD

M10

7,45

6111

6'5;

311

5;02

119,

178

120i

752

122,

897

14.3

7%4.

82%

2.'9

6%2.

76%

1.32

%1.

78%

9-12

"AD

M32

,347

33,3

6634

,234

3.2%

2.6%

voc

ect F

TE

5,98

26,

439

0:74

007.

6%-0

.6%

84

5085

Tab

le 1

7: V

oc E

d an

d T

otal

Ins

truc

tiona

l Spe

ndin

g in

Rea

l Dol

lars

8FY

91 th

roug

h FY

96

FY

91F

Y92

FY

93F

Y94

Cha

nge

over

FY

95F

Y96

Per

iod

Anb

hara

ge C

OLA

-- Voc

atio

nal E

d

Tot

ak I

nstr

uctio

nal

12.7

-17,

725:

i.64

3905

3;86

6

-

:. -1

291

47c5

56;0

26.

4)3;

6728

21-

2131

17,5

30;9

47

441:

A0c

$9.5

135A

3.v

1759

4369

43.1

910

0,71

:...,,

:,

139.

5

1t18

5;86

5

,427

7;63

4 ;9

77

1:41

8

6,N

8;76

7

1311

%

9Z7%

430,

438,

279

819

80/8

2 ba

se.

8651

87

Other State Vocational ExpendituresIn addition to state Public School Foundation Formula funds for vocational education,which represent the major source of revenue for the expenditures reported in the previoustables, state secondary and postsecondary institutions have other sources of support. StateGeneral Fund is appropriated to the two non-University training centersAVTEC andAlaska Technical Instituteas well as to the Rural Student Vocational Program (RSVP),student vocational leadership organizations (VSLOs) and to state administration. TheAlaska Career Information System is supported chiefly by subscriptions from useragencies in the form of program receipts.

The RSVP program has for many years brought rural students into urban centers forshort-term job experiences related to their field of vocational study in their home district.The program was developed in recognition that many areas of Alaska do not have localeconomies which can provide on-the-job experiences in many of the vocational areas. Atone time the program operated statewide; currently it is operating in a greatly-reducedform.

Alaskan vocational education students participate in the five VSLOs which arerecognized nationally:

Future Homemakers of AmericaFuture Farmers of AmericaVocational Industrial Clubs of America (VICA)Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA)Business Education Association (BEA)

These student organizations provide valuable leadership experience and offer studentsopportunities to participate in skill contests which are judged by relevant business andindustry leaders. State funds have provided for a statewide leadership conference and forminimal state club advisor support. Funds were deleted for FY96. For FY97, funding topartially support a state conference was appropriated.

The following table charts the course of these sources of support for the period betweenFY88 and FY98. Figures from FY88 to FY96 represent actual expenditures. FY97figures reflect the appropriation to the program and FY98 figures are taken from theGovernor's proposed budget. All figures are in nominal terms. In real terms, stateGeneral Fund actual and proposed expenditures for the period have declined by more than25 percent.

88

53

Tab

le 1

8: O

ther

DO

E e

xpen

ditu

res

FY88

thro

ugh

FY98

Gov

erno

r's B

udge

t Req

uest

,90

193

%94

9596

9798

% 0

110p

.ge

"Kam

m93

3.2

1057

.611

p4

rp11

54.9

1603

.157

5.3

696.

554

3 . 7

551

727.

165

1.4

Fed

eral

373.

748

853

8.1

535

458.

539

4.5

515.

736

2.9

370.

254

5.6

467.

225

.0%

Sta

te G

F55

9.5

569

659

6.1

619.

954

4.6

180.

818

0.8

180.

818

0.8

181.

518

42-6

7.1%

AK

CIS

-P

rogr

airi

rece

ipts

RS

VP

- O

Th

172.

5

195

240.

8

200

307.

8

199.

2

294.

5

200

252.

5

200,

,

287.

9

190

250.

3

190

262.

8

190

248.

7

184

8'

213

100

216

100

25.2

%

AT

I - G

E...

.,95

095

090

2596

57.

..,

914.

584

8.7

848:

781

473

463

463

4...

.,..,

AV

TE

C.,G

F41

78.2

'.46

59.7

4647

4801

'. t

4867

8 ;,

4528

.246

06:3

4558

.746

91.1

4627

.249

84.9

19:3

4fr,

o"

5490

89

The Department of Education also administers a state appropriation for High SchoolCompletion for Young Parents. The funds are appropriated to the Department of Health& Social Services, which receives $125,000 annually to provide vocational andcomprehensive education and support services to minor parents and their children.Through a coordinated process, the two departments work together to develop, administerand evaluate a competitive grant process to three school districts, currently Mat-Su,Fairbanks and Kenai. Approximately 280 students and their children are served annually.

Carl Perkins FundsThe major source of funds for vocational education program expansion and improvementin both the public secondary and postsecondary institutions has historically been thefederal Carl Perkins Act. Federal appropriations have been fairly constant since the early1990's at between $4.0 and $4.2 million. Except for a modest amount retained for stateadministration (represented in the Federal Administration line on the above chart), theCarl Perkins funds go to support local programs.

From this allocation, the state has issued grants for several purposes. Basic grants forsecondary schools are based on enrollment and other demographic factors, such as thenumber of disadvantaged students serviced. The distribution of these basic grants for thecurrent and past two fiscal years is displayed in Table 20.

Postsecondary funds are distributed to the University of Alaska system and ATVECthrough a competitive grant program. Special Populations grants are also awardedcompetitively to districts, postsecondary institutions and private non-profit serviceagencies. The Department also disburses tech prep funding through a separate CarlPerkins grant award to the state.

Table 19: Annual Carl Perkins Total Distributions

Category :AMOunt Categiiry AmountBasic Grants $2,640,000 Special Populations $520,000epst6econdary $465 000 Leadership $3507660Administration $240,000

Tech PiiP '026;tibb

Basic Grant funds are heavily targeted to special populations and have been a majorsource of funding for districts as they expand vocational training to at-risk populations.The grant funds have also been used to develop innovative programming for the generalstudent population.

The Carl Perkins legislation is currently undergoing reauthorization at the federal leveland its future at this point in time is uncertain. The potential impacts of substantialchanges/reductions in this funding are discussed in the section on Emerging Challengesof this report.

9155

Tab

le 2

0: C

arl P

erki

ns B

asic

Gra

nts

FX

95F

Y96

FY

97:

FY

95

FY

96F

Y97

Ala

ska

Gat

eway

Ale

utia

n R

egio

nA

leut

ians

Eas

tA

natio

ride

-""-

Ann

ette

Isla

nds

Ber

ing

Str

ait

Bris

tol B

ayC

hath

amC

huga

chC

oppe

r R

iver

Cor

dova

_C

raig

lielia

/Gre

ely

Den

ali

_D

illin

gham

Fai

rban

ksG

alen

aH

aine

sH

oona

h^H

Yda

burg

Idita

rod

Juneau

Kak

eK

enai

Ket

chik

an

Kod

iak

24,0

0024

,319

23,3

38(C

oneo

rtiu

M M

embe

r)10

,426

10,9

037,

530

915,

243

906,

216

871,

273-

_9,

845

10,3

9367

,113

67,0

2274

,944

(Con

sort

ium

Mem

ber)

5A64

i5,

421

11,0

63i

(Con

sort

ium

Mem

ber)

15,4

8216

,851

18,3

677,

437

7,06

97,

6977

7,40

86,

107

22,1

1723

,964

28,4

66(C

Ons

orilu

in M

embe

r)10

,590

11,4

5010

,656

294,

666

-263

,886

287,

831

(Con

sort

ium

Mem

ber)

(Con

sort

ium

Mem

ber)

10,3

459,

975

7,27

2(C

onso

rtiu

m M

embe

r)21

,438

20,2

3691

..75

189

,52

6

207,

428

203,

771

38,0

7833

,665

,

4,48

94,

348

46,7

0943

,791

22,7

1385

,175

7

2,88

8

200,

432

32,5

853,

432

34,1

67

Kus

puk

Lake

And

Pen

n.Lo

wer

Kus

kokw

imLo

wer

Yuk

onM

at-S

u

Nen

ana

Nom

eN

orth

Slo

peN

orth

wes

t Arc

ticP

elic

anP

eter

sbur

gP

ribilo

f_

Sitk

aS

kagw

ayS

outh

east

Sou

thw

est

St.

Mar

y's

Tan

ana

Una

lask

aV

alde

zW

rang

ell

Yak

utat

Yuk

on F

lats

Yuk

orilk

oyuk

u-k

Yup

itt

Kas

huna

miu

t 1S

mal

l Sch

ool C

onso

rtiu

mT

OT

ALS

21,0

3522

,022

23,1

91

17,2

7716

,910

155,

762

153,

056

161,

331

75,5

54 -

-76:

9167

-"6

7,66

323

6,29

723

1,99

023

0,67

52,

000

12,7

51-

24,1

9024

,944

17,9

7230

;262

28;6

3172

6:76

b66

,202

66,0

8964

,512

(Con

sort

iuM

Mem

ber)

11,2

7211

,612

10,6

82_

(Con

sort

ium

Mem

ber)

25,0

9524

,494

23,1

11ic

iinsi

irtru

til-p

i1ei

ii6e6

-

32,4

2732

-,4-

6634

;544

(Con

sort

ium

Mem

ber)

(Con

sort

ium

Mer

n6e6

4,55

711

,833

3,36

15,

276

11,3

5510

,471

11,1

5210

;687

3,80

1

26,9

7025

,376

27,1

5828

,6f6

13,8

6514

,315

-17;

639

9,34

9.9,

445

65,8

6959

,543

2;00

382,

641,

573

2,94

,710

92

5693

Competitive Grant FundsCarl Perkins funds are also disbursed competitively to secondary and postsecondaryinstitutions in the state. By state policy, 15 percent of the grant moneys annually arededicated to postsecondary programs and are a major source of program innovation forthe various campuses of the University system. For example, UAA uses Carl Perkinsfunding to support the itinerant Aviation Maintenance Training program, which lastschool year brought aviation-related instruction to 15 rural sites.

TVC's Carl Perkins funding helped to develop an health care program cluster whichincludes distance delivery of an LPN program through Weber State University. UASCarl Perkins funds support the Sitka Education Consortium referenced above, while thedirector of the Katchmak Bay campus on the Kenai Peninsula cites Carl Perkins as theprimary support, together with tuition, for that campus' programs.

Carl Perkins has also been the major funding source for Tech Prep program developmentaround the state. Tech Prep programs involve articulation between secondary andpostsecondary programs, usually offering secondary students the opportunity to beginearning credits toward an associate degree while in high school and providing "seamless"transitions between high school and the postsecondary setting. Tech prep programs arealso commonly referred to as "2 x 2" programs, indicating that the courses taken in thelast two years at the secondary level lead into an associate degree program at aparticipating institution. Tech prep programs represent major efforts at easing thetransition from high school to postsecondary education for the non-baccalaureate studentand for the eventual transition from school to work.

Community-Based Organization funds, which are no longer available, in past yearsprovided support for a highly successful program to train youth for the fishing industry.The program involved coordination between the Alaska Marine Safety EducationAssociation and the University of Alaska Southeast. Consumer and HomemakingEducation funds, which have also been phased out, have supported improving, expandingand modernizing local school curricula. As a result, most local programs now includeparenting, child development, nutrition and employability skills.

A final category for Carl Perkins competitive grant funding has been programs for specialpopulations and to increase gender equity in vocational training programs at thesecondary, postsecondary and adult levels. Table 21 indicates that over one milliondollars has been directed at these programs in the past two years, through a variety ofpublic and private non-profit agencies. The experiences of these programs, particularlythose dealing with single parents and displaced homemakers, have significantimplications for welfare reform efforts in the state and are discussed at some length in theEmerging Challenges section of this report.

As mentioned earlier, the Carl Perkins Act is currently under review by Congress.Changes in the Act could have serious implications for Alaska's vocational educationdelivery system.

5734

Tab

le 2

1: C

ompe

titiv

e C

arl P

erki

ns F

undi

ngFY

95 th

roug

h Fe

brua

ry, 1

997

FY

95.F

Y97

'F

Y95

"FY

96.

FY

97S

PE

CIA

L P

OP

ULA

TIO

NS

Anc

hora

ge-C

ross

road

sF

airb

anks

- G

ende

r E

quity

45;0

00-

27,7

50

71,9

3029

,700

460

27,7

5039

6007

28,0

00

64r,

923

45,0

00

54:4

503,

400

0107

0731

,500

13,4

508,

666

dg;4

31

29,0

00

4;78

032

,400

30:3

20!:

710,

704

71,9

30

-.4

5,06

6-27

,750

28,0

00

31,5

0014

,153

28,0

003,

8§1

1:30

:320

310,

307

TE

CH

PR

EP

-Jun

eau

- -

Ken

aiK

odia

k 7"

Nor

th S

lope

OA

F`

UA

F-T

anan

a (I

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rate

d

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ST

SE

CO

ND

AR

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UA

-Anc

hora

ge0A

71K

ielie

rnak

UA

-Sou

thea

st

UA

F-T

anan

a V

alle

y...

.__

_A

VT

EC

60,0

00-

60,0

00

1260

66

80,0

00F

7T00

0,

77,0

00-

77,0

0077

,600

-38

865-

6

69,4

07

64,9

23-7

5,60

060

,050

346;

350

77,0

0077

,060

77,0

00

...77

,000

77,0

0038

,00b

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60;0

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199,

932

Fai

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ks-S

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aren

ts...

._...

......

......

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June

au-S

ingl

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aren

t'K

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ompl

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plac

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omem

aker

7kod

i*:4

erid

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Other Funding SourcesTwo major sources of funding for which information is available are the Job Training andPartnership Act (JTPA) and the state's STEP program. JTPA is administered in Alaskaby three entities: the Anchorage and Fairbanks Private Industry Council (PIC) and the,Department of Community and Regional Affairs for programs outside of Anchorage andFairbanks. JTPA funds are used to support both individual clients, through a casemanagement system, and training programs run by a variety of public and privateagencies. In the case managed portion of JTPA, clients develop an individual trainingplan with a JTPA counselor, and the appropriate training and support services arepurchased or brokered from existing programs. In the other case, JTPA funds are used todevelop and implement a program specifically for JTPA clients.

STEP program are funded by an appropriation of a certain percentage of UnemploymentInsurance receipts and must serve clients who have participated in the UI program in thepast. Both STEP and JTPA focus considerable attention on placement of the client inpaid employment after the training. Again, this system has characteristics which couldprovide a model for welfare reform activity in the state. Possible applications arediscussed in the Emerging Challenges section of this report.

Information on JTPA/STEP program funding for the three most recent fiscal years isprovided in Table 22.

Table 22: JTPA/STEP Funding9

JTPA FY95 FY96 FY97

Title IIA AdultTit lkitp;Sumrrier Youth

2,240.5681 657 800

2,466.9801,942.500

2,362.2842 ,595 400

Title IIC Youth 2,032.832 2,686 952 353.18866/0 School to Work 371.600 448.168 236.128Title Ill Displaced Worker 2,209.600 2,920.700 2,837.900STEP 3050:000,;i 2;941.500 3,333.600

TOTAL: 11,562.400 13,406.800 11,718.500

A final source of funds supporting the state's vocational education delivery system is thefederal Job Corps Program. Alaska receives approximately $6 million annually from thisprogram for operating the Palmer Job Corps Center.

StaffingGeneral information on staff preparedness and certification was obtained from districtvocational education directors at a statewide workshop in Anchorage in February, 1997,attended by representatives from 24 districts. This information was supplementedthrough a survey of school districts on numbers, certification and replacement of

9 data was not available from the Anchorage Area Private Industry Council.

vocational education staff. Nineteen districts, representing over 80 percent of total andvocational education enrollment, responded to the survey.

All training institutions seek faculty who have occupational as well as teachingexperience. Vocational education directors indicated that they had more difficulty insecuring adequately trained staff today than in the past. Although the problem appears tobe greatest for the more highly technical areas, both urban and rural areas reported ageneral lack of trained candidates. For example, one district reported a lack of applicantsin most vocational areas at recent statewide Teacher Job Fairs, which are the chief venuesfor hiring new teachers for many rural districts, in particular.

Most districts reported that their full-time vocational education staff held a regular TypeA certificate with a vocational education endorsement. Five districtsmostly districtswith only one or two full-time staffreported that all of their teachers held a Type Dcertificate which credits industry experience equally with academic background. While aType A certificate indicates that the possessor has the necessary pedagogical skills, thedirectors also indicated that some pre-service programs for vocational education teachersemphasize breadth rather than depth in any one occupational area.

Districts were asked how their voc ed staffs stayed current with changes anddevelopments in their occupational areas. The most-commonly reported method wasthrough academic coursework. Eleven districts reported voc ed teachers sought summeremployment or internships in industry. Even with this activity, however, some districtsreported problems in assuring that instructors keep up-to-date in their occupational field,particularly since current recertification requirements do not specify recency in theteacher's field of endorsement. One suggestion was that teachers be required to havesome recent work experience, even as little as several days or a week, as a condition forrecertification.

At the postsecondary level, the emphasis again is on work experience over researchexperience in hiring. However, postsecondary institutions also cite difficulty in findinghighly-trained instructors, particularly for short-term programs. This problem was givenas the chief reason why the university system finds it difficult to respond quickly toindustry requests for specialized, highly-technical training for current employees.

At all levels of public education, recent and current Retirement Incentive Programs haveaffected considerable numbers of experienced vocational educators. While this situationcan present an opportunity to bring in a more recently educated and employed faculty, itis also a cause for concern as vacated positions may not be filled as a cost-savingmeasure. The 18 districts responding to the questionnaire reported a net loss of 15.5 full-time vocational education positions over the past two years. This represents a decline of8 percent. If Anchoragewhich accounts for 43 percent of the full-time teaching staffis excluded, the decline over the past two years climbs to 11 percent. This reduction instaff should be considered in relation to the 6.7 percent increase in vocational educationenrollments over the same period.

98860

Half of the districts cited "funding" as the biggest problem faced at present in securingand maintaining a high quality vocational education staff. Some districts cited staff burn-out, either with vocational education teachers who are assigned other courses for whichthey are not prepared (a practice which is reported as becoming more common as districtsare forced to "downsize") or with non-vocational teachers who are assigned to teach voced without adequate preparation. Other problems in rural areas were high staff turn overand the need to hire generalists rather than specialists, thereby limiting the consistencyand quality of skill training that districts can offer.

Student leaders from Alaska's five vocational education organizations voiced deepconcern over the difficulty in obtaining teacher advisors for the organizations. Decline instate support, teacher overload and a general de-emphasis on occupational skill trainingby district Boards and administrators were put forward as causes.

On a more positive note, the teacher training program at UAA is growing in importanceto the state's vocational delivery system. Since the program's inception, it has graduated68 teachers with a Masters of Science in Vocational Education. The program is offeredstatewide through distance education. Of graduates surveyed, 72 percent reported thattheir current employment was definitely related to their degree.

Other University-sponsored staff development sources have been the Vocational InternProgram (VIP), which has placed 120 vocational education teachers from around the statein summer internships with business and industry and the Administrative InternshipProgram which provided training to potential vocational education administrators. Theperson responsible for these programs, however, is being affected by early retirement andthe decision to retain the position has not yet been made.

EquipmentMore so than other instructional programs, the quality of vocational education depends onaccess to appropriate and current equipment. Given the state of rapid technologicalchange occurring in almost all occupational areas, most programs find it difficult if notimpossible to keep up. Because private, for-profit career education programs are the mostmarket-driven of all service providers, these programs tend to invest more heavily inequipment upgrading and replacement than do publicly-supported programs. Even in theprivate sector, however, technological change presents a constant challenge.

The state's Public School Foundation Program has historically recognized the addedequipment (and facility operation) expenses incurred in vocational education by providingcategorical or "extra" funds to approved programs. For the current school years, forexample, $8,017,840 will be distributed among school districts for the added costs ofvocational programs. As will be remembered from Table 15, total state expenditures forsecondary vocational education program last school year amounted to $23,111,566. Thedifference between categorical amounts generated and actual expenditures comes becausevocational education students also generate regular foundation funds, which are used to

support teachers and the normal materials and supplies. Categorical funds were intendedto be directed at the additional costs associated with the programs.

For state-funded program, equipment represents in most cases a capital expenditure andas such, is even more difficult to secure than operating funds. As districts, the state-funded technical centers and the University system experience increasingly tight budgets,purchase of new or replacement equipment falls ever lower on the priority list.

Because secondary vocational facilities in smaller communities are often utilized by thelocal University of Alaska campus, the lack of equipment hinders both programs. Forexample, a welding program offered by Kachemak Bay campus was discontinued becauseof the state of equipment at Homer High School. In some cases, schools have beenassisted by industry, which donates used equipment, most commonly as the industry itselfmoves to the next generation of technology.

FacilitiesVocational education programs often require specialized spaces, such as workshops andlabs, which contribute to the added expense of such programs. Although Alaska boastsseveral world class facilitiessuch as the Job Corps Center in Palmer and the expandedUAA aviation program facility at Merrill Fieldmuch of the state's vocational educationinfrastructure was built during the state's boom years. As with many state facilities,vocational education centers and other instructional spaces have suffered from deferredmaintenance. In some cases, facilities are underutilized and cannot generate the tuition orother support needed for upkeep.

A new facility is soon to be added to the state system: the Galena Vocational Centerwhich will utilize abandoned facilities of the former Galena Air Base. Ilisagvik Collegehas also been the beneficiary of federal policy changes, utilizing the quarters formallybuilt and occupied by the Arctic Research program.

Although no major concern emerged in this study concerning the need for new facilities,two institutions reported that program expansion was constrained because of lack ofappropriate space. AVTEC's biggest need is for student housing. Tanana ValleyCampus is seeking space for its automotive program and to rotate short-term trainingrequiring shop space.

X00

62

How does voc ed fit into other initiatives?

Quality SchoolsAlaska's Quality Schools initiative has several components, including high academicstudent standards, quality professional standards, family, community and businessinvolvement in student learning and school based accountability standards. All of thesecomponents impact and can be impacted by the secondary vocational education programsof the state.

Content standards for the basic academic areas, skills for healthy living and technologyhave been adopted by the State Board of Education. According to the Department ofEducation, these standards are "general statements of what Alaskans want students toknow and be able to do as a result of their public schooling."

To date, standards have not been adopted for work readiness skills; however, theDepartment is working on these standards and expects to bring them to the State Boardsoon. There is ample evidence from needs assessments and employer surveys that theAlaskan public expects students to have acquired these skills as part of the schoolingprocess. For example, a 1993 statewide assessment of nearly 100 educators, employersand policy makers concerning vocational education identified workplace ethics andemployability skills as the most important components of vocational education"). Asurvey of Fairbanks and Interior Alaska area business people, also conducted in 1993 forUAF's College of Rural Alaska identified work readiness and basic academic skills as thetwo most important areas in which public schools could improve the quality of theworkforce.11 These conclusions were echoed in a recent (1995) survey completed for theFairbanks North Star Borough School District.12 A recommendation of this study,therefore, is that student standards be expanded to include the workforce preparednessand general employability skills expected to be acquired by all students. Assistingstudents to meet these standards is a responsibility shared by all grade levels and contentareas, not merely secondary vocational education.

Career development is a second vocational-related area in which there appears to begeneral agreement that all students need to acquire competency. Career developmenthelps students answer questions fundamental to a successful adulthood: who am I, wheream I going, how do I get there and how do I function effectively? The Department ofEducation is currently developing standards for career development programs. Again,activities to help students gain these competencies begin in elementary school and crosses

1° Southeast Regional Resource Center, Statewide Needs Assessment for Alaska State Vocational TechnicalEducation, November, 1993, p. 15.11 Northern Planning and Research, Labor Market Assessment: Fairbanks, Dillingham, Bethel, Nome,Kotzebue, Interior Region, UAF-College of Rural Alaska, May, 1993, p. 1.12 Stayrook, N. and Pineault, B., Vocational Education: Opinions from Students, Parents and LocalBusiness People on Voc Ed Programs and Career Education, Fairbanks North Star Borough SchoolDistrict, May, 1995, p. 5.

all content areas. Therefore, the Department intends that the career standards will beintegrated into the current academic content standards.

The third area for which student standards are appropriate is in the occupational clusterscovered by vocational education. These are not yet in place. The vocational educationstaff of the Department of Education are proposing that the state and the school districtsdevelop these standards through participation in the Integrated System for WorkforceEducation Curricula (ISWEC) project of the Center for Occupational Research andDevelopment. The ISWEC Career Cluster project is establishing for nine career clusterareas content areas standards which will integrate academic, employability, careerdevelopment and occupational-specific skills. Because standard development is a time-consuming process, it may not be cost-effective to address all occupational clusters atonce. Rather, the state should determine which occupational clusters are most widelydemanded in the market place and most commonly taught in secondary programs.Adoption of standards for these programs would have two effects. First, the standardswould strengthen vocational coursework by emphasizing high academic achievement andsecond, would strengthen the other curricular areas by providing additional, real-lifeapplications for basic and higher order academic skills.

Performance standards for certificated staff recently adopted by the State Board ofEducation stress connecting content to practical situations outside school and to life, workand the community. Educators are also expected to partner with homes, businesses andthe broader community. These activities have long been part of the repertoire of goodvocational teachers. As schools develop programs to evaluate professional performance,vocational staffs can be a valuable source of expertise.

The third leg of the quality schools initiative is family, community and businessinvolvement in student learning, while the final area is developing collaborations at thelocal level. Again, these are areas in which vocational educators have considerableexperience.

In order for vocational education to impact the initiative, however, it must become morethan marginally involved. One of the more disturbing findings which surfaced throughthe interviews conducted for this study was the perceived lack of leadership and directionfor vocational education. Although the school reform movementwhich includes theAlaska Initiative, Goals 2000 and School to Workconsists of elements long practicedby vocational educators, many of those interviewed felt that the movement wasbypassing vocational education at best and at worst, engulfing it. Many intervieweescited the need for a strong voice which could articulate vocational education's role inschool reform. Of particular concern was the need to preserve for secondary schools aplace in occupational skill training.

Given the historical independence of vocational educators, it was somewhat surprisingthat most interviewees were willing to see a greater integration of vocational and generaleducation. While some concern was expressed over the potential loss of categorical

6410

funding, most recognized that the trend at both the federal and state levels was toconsolidate funding and to break down or eliminate earlier barriers to comprehensiveplanning based on student need. The vocational educators interviewed agreed that theymust be able to defend their programs on the basis of student results rather thangeneration of categorical revenue. To do this, however, they called for assistance fromand advocacy at the state level.

Tech PrepTech Prep is defined at the federal level as combined secondary and postsecondaryeducation programs that

lead to an associate degree or two year certificate;provide technical preparation in at least one field of engineering technology,applied science, mechanical, industrial, or practical art or trade, or agriculture,health or business;build student competence in mathematics, science, and communications(including through applied academics) through a sequential course of study;lead to placement in employment13.

As can be seen from this definition, secondary and public postsecondary vocationalprograms are the essential ingredients for Tech Prep efforts in the state. Much of theplanning and development of Tech Prep programs in Alaska can be traced to Carl Perkinsfunding, which provided earmarked funds through the Tech Prep Education Act.

Tech Prep has lead the way in Alaska in a variety of voc ed initiatives. For example,Tech Prep funds have provided training and support for academic and vocational teachersin developing applied academics curriculum and hands on, contextual learning. Theseprograms have been part of school reform by encouraging schools to use innovations suchas block scheduling to improve vocational education and applied academics programs.

Career guidance plays a significant role in Tech Prep programs through the developmentof a planned sequential course of study which includes a strong vocational componentwith future career goals in mind. Extending these services to all students is an importantcomponent of school reform. Tech Prep programs also anticipated the school to workmovement by placing teachers into local businesses to see first hand how academic, workpreparedness, and technical skills are used in the workplace. Regular academic teacherswere then assisted in writing these skills into classroom applications.

Current articulation agreements between the two systems, which are displayed in thefollowing table, bear out a considerable degree of joint activity in many areas of the state.Although not all of the listed programs meet the strict definition of Tech Prep, all indicatea fruitful collaboration between secondary and postsecondary instructors whichstrengthens both programs and provides expanded opportunities to students.

13 Bragg, D., (1994, June) as quoted by Deborah Huffman in "Development of a Marketing Strategy forMatanuska-Susitna Tech Prep, master's thesis, UAA, May, 1996.

65 103

Table 23: Articulation Agreementsby Institution and Program Area

School District Postsecondary InstitutionCertificate/DegreeProgram Area(s)

Valdez

rkfailtirtfolOqjh Schools

Prince William Sound CC

UM-Mit Su Campus

Kodiak Island Borough Schools UAA-Kodiak Campus

Juneau Borough SChool district UAS- Juneau

Sitka Borough Schools /Mt.Edgecumbe

Kenai

Kenai

-Anchbrage'Sena-al District

Nome City Schools

Fairbanks North Star SchoolDistrict

Iditarod, Alaska Gateway,Yukon Flats, Tanana, Galena,Railbelt (Denali), YukonKoyukuk, NenanaNorth Slope Borough

UAS -SitkaSheldon Jackson College

UAA -Kenai PenfnatiliUAA-Kachemak Bay

Alaska Vocational TechnicalCenter

UM- Anchoraji Campus

UAF-Northern Campus

UWF-Terfahrit Valley Campqa

-ljAF-Tanana Valley Campus

Ilisagvik College

Marine Technology

Business AdministrationAccountingComputer Info Office Systems

Marine Science/FisheriesBusinessConstruction TechnalOgyTounsmNisitor IndustryAccountingBusiness AdministrationBusiness Info SystemsPublic SafetyEnvironmental TechnologyHealth OccupationsChild DevelopmentEducationInstrumentation technologyPetroleum technologyComputer ElectronicsSmall Business ManagementComputer Info Office SystemsChild DeveloprytentDiesel Engine technologyCommercial BakingAutomotiveHeavy EquipmentIndustrial Electrical MaintenancePhysical Plant techWelding Tech

ThiChilacttiral Engineering DraftingAviation Maintenance techBusinessCommercial FoodElectronicsChild CareWelding TechnologyIntroduction to HealthIntroduction to BusinessPrinciples of technologyApplied AcademicsDraftingApplied Business and OfficeManagementArticulated Tech Prep (variouscourses)

various course, tied to an IndividualEducation Plan (IEP) for each involvedstudent

66 104

AcademicsAlthough a strong integrated academic curriculum has always been a feature of goodvocational education programs, the quality schools movement has focused increasedattention on assuring that all students meet high academic standards. In this thrust, amajor area of coordination between vocational education and the regular secondaryprogram is in applied academic courses. Applied academics are programs which usehands-on learning and real-life applications to develop high academic achievement levelsin mathematics, communication and the sciences. Unlike the "business math" and"business communications" courses of an earlier era, which often accepted lower basicskill standards for non-college bound students, applied academic students are heldaccountable to the same standards as students in traditional academic classes. The use ofsuch courses in Alaska is growing and currently 32 districts offer instruction in appliedmath, communications, physics and biology/chemistry.

However, many of the persons interviewed for this report expressed concern that appliedcourses at present are somewhat of a one-way street; that is, vocational educators arebeing asked to improve the academic content of their course offerings, but academicteachers are slower and more reluctant to increase the practical, real-world related contentof their courses. Yet, a vital component of the school reform movement is to integratework preparedness skills into the regular curriculum and to make much closerconnections between the classroom and the employer community. To do this requiresthat academic and vocational staff have the opportunity at the local level to developcurriculum infusing theory with applied instructional techniques.

School to WorkSchool to Work (STW) is a new educational thrust directed at preparing all students tomake a smooth transition from school to meaningful employment. As such, it takestraditional concepts from vocational education and seeks to infuse them into the generalcurriculum. Vocational education processes integral to School to Work include:

assisting students to develop career plansimparting general employability skills and traitsintegrating hands-on learning and examples of real-life applications intoacademic areasdeveloping skills specific to various occupational clustersconnecting to the business community for program planning, work sites forlearning, and authentic assessment of student skills

At present, districts are involved in STW efforts with varying intensities. Some districtsare in the planning process, while others have begun to implement programs. Thefollowing table indicates those districts involved in the process. Planning andimplementation grants are supported by federal School to Work moneys.

105

67

Table 24: School To Work Grants for FY97

FY97 'FY97Planning Grants ImplementationDenali 10:016 FairbanksCopper River 15,000 GalenaCraig 1 gTobb JuneauDelta 15,000 KenaiDillingham 10,696 Koiiiiii"Ketchikan 15,000 Lower KKirepuk f#Pcl miOuPetersburg 9,668 NW Arctic'Plitibilofs 15,000 YupiitValdez 15,000

'Wrangell 15;000 TOTAL - ALLChugachamiut 15,000

700977,5-65

52,901;

78,000-7^8;obb73,000

77,500zi:k8jo

910,000

An essential feature of School to Work initiatives is the involvement of a broad crosssection of business and education interests in the community on School to WorkCouncils. The Kenai council, for example, is composed of 25 representatives of business,economic development agencies and local secondary/postsecondary educators. Mat-Su'sschool to work effort involvesin addition to employers and educatorsparentorganizations, local and state government agencies and student leadership organizations.

The Unalaska School to Work initiative has 24 identified partners covering organizedlabor, Native corporations and tribes, senior citizen groups, arts councils, the Boy Scoutsand service organizations, in addition to the city, local educators and employers.

One of the most far-flung School to Work efforts involves Galena City School's ProjectEducation, which is developing a regional boarding vocational technical school in theinactive Air Force base in the community. School to Work activities, such as jobshadowing, job training, role playing and mentoring are planned as part of the project.Surrounding districts have signed agreements to actively participate in school to work byrecruiting local employer-mentors. The cooperating districts are Yukon/Koyukok, YukonFlats, Tanana, St. Mary's, Lower Yukon and Iditarod. Many of these districts are thosewhich participated in the Integrated Tech Prep program with UAF-Tanana ValleyCampus.

Yupiit School district is partnering with an adjoining districtLower Kuskokwiminimplementing its school to work initiative. It is also forging agreements with UAF-Kuskokwim Campus and AVTEC.

As can be seen, some district efforts are an outgrowth of earlier activity funded throughvocational education and vocational educators are assuming leadership of the process.Galena, Kenai and Lower Kuskokwim are good examples of this. In other districts,vocational education appears to be only marginally involved. Yet vocational educators,with their long history of applied learning, community involvement and performance-

68 lo 6

based assessment should be at the core of any education reform movement. At the veryleast, it would appear that close coordination and cooperation of the two efforts isessential at both the state and local levels. This is particularly true since STW funds arefor a limited time onlythree to five years in alland are considered by both federal andstate program managers to be "venture capital." That is, grant funds provide the seedmoney for forging cooperative agreements, reworking curricula, and developing workexperiences. Once these are in place, districts are expected to support continuation out ofexisting operating funds.

School to Work programs can help fill a need commonly cited by vocational educators:increasing understanding among high school counselors that vocational education/technical training is appropriate for both the non-college and the college bound. Schoolto work can educate school counselors that good jobs are available to students who don'tplan to go to college and can promote technical training, in particular Tech Prepprograms, which has entry into college as the next step after high school.

One other area of potential school to work/vocational education synergy is identificationof and program development in heretofore unexplored occupational areas. As studentsexperience more effective career exploration and planning, as linkages between academicskills and real life become increasingly explicit, as all teachers discuss work opportunitiesin their content areas, schools will be called on to offer specific skill courses in a muchbroader range of occupations than at present. This aspect of school to work alone has thepower to revitalize and transform vocational education, by making it central to theeducational enterprise.

If vocational educators hold themselves aloof from the school to work initiative, there issome real danger that district commitment to occupational-specific skills for somestudents will be jettisoned in favor of attention to more general employability skilldevelopment for all students, even though it is clear that both sets of skills are needed. Ifother educators ignore the experience and expertise of vocational educators, the school towork movement could degenerate into an unrelated series of "real-life' episodes looselygrafted onto a business-as-usual traditional curriculum.

How does voc ed assist in transitions?Vocational education is not an end in itself. At any levelsecondary, certificate,associate degree or continuing educationthe goal of the training is to place students inwork. In some cases, additional training may be an intermediate step, but ultimatelyemployment of completers in the field of training or a closely related field is theperformance standard of quality programs.

In a world of rapidly changing technology and workplace demands, however, a qualityvocational education delivery system also accommodates the movement from work intoupgrading or retraining and then back into the workforce.

1.0769

Finally, with today's insistence on welfare reform, a quality vocational education deliverysystem also needs to provide a bridge from dependency to self-sufficiency.

How well does Alaska's current system fulfill these function? Although not a full-fledged evaluation of the system, the current study utilized existing research and data to atleast partially answer this question.

School to WorkProbably the best way of determining how well the system places graduates in relatedemployment is to follow up the graduates themselves and find out what they are doing.The Alaska Department of Labor provides a comprehensive and fairly easy way of doingthis by matching program completers against the Occupational Data Base, which containsoccupation and place-of-work information for private sector, state and local governmentsalary and wage workers in Alaska. The Department can also match against other databases, such as the Permanent Fund Dividend files, occupational licenses, businesslicenses, fishing crew licenses and certain federal data files.

In the past several years, three major studies following up vocational education/trainingstudents have been conducted using this data: for AVTEC (1994 graduates), University ofAlaska Vocational Education Students (1988 to 1991 enrollees) and the Alaska StudentLoan Program (all borrowers between 1984 and 1992). The results of these studies shedsome light on where vocational education students end up after training. These results aresummarized below. Copies of the full studies can be obtained from the Department ofLabor, Research and Analysis Section.

The follow-up of AVTEC graduates found that 77 percent of the 1994 graduates hadwage or salary employment in Alaska in the year after graduation. Forty-six percent wereemployed in Alaska in an occupation directly related to their course of study.14 Averageafter-training salaries were 52% higher for the total group. Alaskan Native studentearnings increased by 57 percent and female student post-training earnings were 178percent higher than before training.

The same study also updated figures for 1990, 1991 and 1992 graduates. The findingswere that employment of graduates remained very stable for the years followinggraduation, particularly for Alaska Natives and women. Earnings continued to grow in theearly years after graduation and then peaked in year 3 or 4 as graduates who had little orno earning before training brought their earnings up.15

The study for the University of Alaska followed up 46,910 students who had beenenrolled in vocational education between 1988 and 1991. Of these, 258 had earnedcertificates and 806, associate degrees. The vast majority were either course completers

14 Readers should note that the match of jobs to training is not exact; therefore, reported figures mayunderestimate employment in related field.15 see Mosher, Hadland and Rae, AVTEC: A Report on the Employment Status and Earnings of FY1994Graduates, ADOL, Research and Analysis, June, 1996

70108

(defined as earning 7 or more credit hours in vocational education) or specific intereststudents (defined as earning 6 or fewer vocational education credits).

Seventy-three percent of the students (34,151) were identified as working in Alaskaduring the two years following completion of enrollment. An additional 2,900 wereworking for the federal government either in Alaska or elsewhere, while another 1,668had obtained some sort of state licenseoccupational, business or fishing crewwhichmay have been used for self-employment. Although most of the wage earners werelocated in Anchorage, Fairbanks or Juneau (52.5 percent), former students were employedin all sub census regions of the state. Overall, about 53 percent of the employed studentswere working in an occupation closely related to their course of study. Business, humanservices and early childhood education students had the highest percentage of formerstudents employed in an occupation closely related to their field of study.

The study for the Postsecondary Commission followed up all borrowers, regardless ofcourse of study. Of a total sample of 40,728 former borrowers 52 percent had wage andsalary earnings in Alaska during the 1992 calendar year. An additional 1,877 were foundto be working in the state of Washington, through a match with that state's wage files.

A comparison of field of study and area of employment revealed that the followingpercentages of borrowers were working in a field related to their area of study:

Table 25: Percentage of Borrowers Employedin Field of Study (1992)

% EmployedField of Study

Therapy 79.1%-reliiii6fiRrelififr 69.0%Heavy equipment operation 62.2%

4.0ttOrSilPe 5T6 NiTruck operation 54.1%Barteridihg 224%Cosmetology/hairdressing 23.0%

,,,.....COmputenprogramming :: ,....: 17:1.%

The low match for cosmetology students may well be accounted for by the fact that manylicense-holders in the industry are self-employed and would not appear on wage files.

The above studies, all of which indicate relatively high rates of successful transition fromschool to work, focus on postsecondary training. The only similar study involvingsecondary students has been with Anchorage King Career Center graduates16. This studyfollowed up 259 students who had completed three or more credits in an occupational

16 Wilson J, Had land J, and Vinson F, Employment Status and Earnings of 1987 Vocational ProgramCompleters, Martin Luther King Career Center, Anchorage, Alaska, Alaska Department of Labor,Research and Analysis, September 6, 1991.

71 109

cluster in 1987. Students were matched against DOL wage and salary data bases for theyears 1987-1990. The study found that

in-state employment of program completers peaked in third quarter 1987 (the fall aftercompleting school in spring), with 61.4 percent having wage and salary employment;1990 median annual earnings for completers significantly exceeded those of allresident persons in their age group in the Alaska work force, both overall and by sex;most of the wage and salary workers (80.7 percent) were employed in the AnchorageBorough; andone-fourth of the completers were employed in 1990 in industries or occupationsrelated to their course of study.

With respect to the last pointemployment in an occupational related to the field ofstudyresults varied significantly among occupational clusters, as seen in the followingtable:

Table 26:1990 Employment in Occupation Related to Field of Study

King Career Center Graduates

Occupational Cluster% employed in relatedoccupation in 1990

Automated Office Occupations 75.0Child Care 46.0Construction 36.3AviationMaintenance 35.7Auto Mechanics/Body 35.5Computer Program Ming/Operations 33.3Tounsm 28 6Cosmetology17 20.0Surveying 20 -0Health Occupations'Graphic Arts and Communication 3.8

Because many secondary students go on to further education and training, results from theKing Career Center follow-up cannot be compared directly with results from post-secondary training. However, the results are interesting on their face. For example,several areas which have been considered high growth (tourism and health occupations)had relatively low placement rates. Traditional areas, such as auto mechanics andconstruction, which have been sometimes denigrated as no longer relevant, had betterplacement rates than some of the more up-to-data courses such as graphics and computeroperations. Before much is made of these results, it should be remembered that the studyfollowed up a small number of students and that both the King Career Center and itsgraduates have the advantage of the Anchorage economy. If other districts or the stateconducted similar studies on a regular basis, the data generated could either confirm are

17as with the postsecondary survey, cosmetology is no doubt underrepresented because graduates are often

self-employed.

72 1 1 0

refute these findings and would provide an extremely valuable source for programmodification and improvement.

Although not follow-up studies, the statewide and Fairbanks area needs assessmentsreferred to earlier in this report and a student survey conducted for the Northwest ArcticSchool District in 1996 provide some further indication of performance.

Business responses in the needs assessments indicate concern over skill levels ofapplicants, particularly basic academic skills and work readiness. Computer skills werealso cited. Almost half of the respondents in one study reported difficulty in findingentry-level workers with these skills. The student survey reported that while moststudents (79 percent) thought that "learning about jobs and how to get them" was "veryimportant to me", only 22 percent thought that "I am very good at it". More studentsreported that they were "not good" at this skill than any of the other 20 academic/lifeskills listed.18

School to SchoolParticularly at the secondary level, program success often means placing completers infurther training. Because there has been no consistent follow up of high school graduatesin Alaska, it is difficult to determine how successful secondary vocational programs havebeen in this respect. The articulation agreements between school districts andneighboring postsecondary institutions are designed to strengthen this area. For the mostpart, these agreements have been entered into only recently so that it is too early to tell ifthey will achieve their purpose. However, preliminary information indicates that too fewstudents are aware of these agreements. School counselors may need to become moreactive in explaining these opportunities to students and encouraging them to enroll in theprogram.

Reports by postsecondary vocational program operators identify some of the sameproblems with high school completers that businesses have identified, namely a low levelof academic skills, particularly in math. One of the rationales for tech prep programs isthat students entering college from a tech prep course of study will be prepared to masteradvanced courses, thus decreasing the need for developmental courses at thepostsecondary level.

Some school-to-school transition difficulty is expressed in the NW Arctic student surveycited above. Although 72 percent of the students questioned said that they planned toattend college after high school, less than 50 percent indicated that they would havecompleted some college, one or more semesters of college, an associate degree or abachelor's degree five years after high school graduation. Only 14 percent indicated thatthey would have completed a vocational or technical certificate in that time.

18 Seyfrit C., Survey of Alaska High School Students -1995: Preliminary Report, Northwest Arctic SchoolDistrict, p. 11.

Work to SchoolWhile no data was found concerning movement from work to school, the DOL studiescited above contain some hints. For example, the study of University of Alaskavocational students found that nearly half of the employed students worked for the samefirm before and after training. The report concludes that "this is consistent with a studentpopulation upgrading their skills in order to make themselves more valuable to anemployer or eligible for promotion."19

The AVTEC study also indicated a high level of employment prior to entering theprogram. Of the 171 graduate in 1994 who had earnings after training, 169 had beenemployed for at least one quarter in the year prior to training. Clearly these findingsindicate substantial movement between work and school on the part of individuals.

Postsecondary institutions also provide short term or special program for specificindustries which train current employees. Examples are the Alaska Technical Institute'smillwright program for employees of the Red Dog mine, AVTEC's work with thechemical fertilizer plant in Nikilski, Ilisagvik College's occupational safety courses forNorth Slope Borough employees, and PWSCC's program for oil industry employees.Almost all of the postsecondary institutions in the state conduct similar short -termindustry specific program for skill upgrading. Persons interviewed for this report,however, cited significant problems in mounting such programs. For some institutions,getting a program approved is a time-consuming process which inhibits flexibility. Forinstitutions subject to state budget procedures, getting permission to receive and spendadditional revenues requires significant lead time. Most institutionsboth public andprivatereported difficulty in getting experienced staff on short notice to conduct suchprograms. Access to appropriate instructional space and equipment also reported as aproblem.

Welfare to WorkThe vocational education delivery system of the state has some experience with assistingwelfare recipients transition from dependency to work. While no follow-up of suchclients was unearthed in the course of this study, many of the program operatorsinterviewed shared their experiences.

The experience of Job Corps, AVTEC, JTPA and Carl Perkins grantees confirm that inorder for this transition to be successful, several elements are needed: basic andoccupational skills development, attention to attitude and job readiness skills, andprovision of support services. Programs that work well appear to be a mix of individualcareer planning, group support and mentoring, along with classroom training.

19 Hadland J., Elliot B., and Tromble K., Employment and Earnings Follow-up Study, University of AlaskaVocational Education Students, ADOL/UA Statewide Office of Vocational and Technical Education andOffice of Institutional Research, April, 1994, p. 11

74

Programs containing these elements indicate a relatively high placement rate. Job Corpsprogram in Palmer serves students ages 16 to 24, about 35 percent whom are on publicassistance. Of the 674 students who have terminated the program, 83 percent have beenplaced. This placement rate includes program drop outs as well a completers. AVIreports an 80 percent placement from its 22 week Office Skills program.

JTPA programs for economically disadvantaged adults (Title ILA) reported the followingresults for the past fiscal year.

Table 27: JTPA Placements2°FY96

Total Placed inJTPA Total Public % Public Total % of employ- % ofArea enrolled Assistance Assistance Completed Enrolled ment Completed

Statewide 379 157 41:1; %p 234 6116'

Fairbanks 107 71 66.4% 4.4 41 24:::

56. °

The AVTEC annual report on its single parents/displaced homemaker program, many ofwhose clients are welfare recipients, explains some of the difficulties in serving thispopulation. Many of the problems that arose were related to children of students thatbecame sick, required medical attention or needed a ride to or from daycare. Other needsthat were addressed during the school year included basic eye and dental needs, parentingskills, and referrals to other agencies. The center also held large groups discussions onsuch topics as stress reduction, alcohol abuse, sexual harassment and life skills topics.Even with these difficulties, however, the program reported an 85 percent placement ratefor completers, due in large part to the intensive one-on-one assistance of program staff.

Vocational education programs at the secondary level which deal with single parentsfocus on preventing the transition from school to welfare. Such programs encourage highschool completion and the acquisition of parenting and job readiness skills. Many of theprogram completers transition to an adult training programs such as JTPA foroccupational skill development. Fairbanks School District's OPTIONS has won state andnational recognition in this area. The Mat-Su Alternative School, also recognizedstatewide and nationally, has been successful in moving minor parents and at-riskstudents to work and further education. Both of these programs could serve as models fortransitioning in-school teen parents from welfare to work.

20 Source: JTPA annual reports.21 an additional 100 completers enrolled in further education after JTPA program completion.

Ti3

How well do current programs match:

Anticipated new job areasVocational education is directed at preparing students for work. To be successful, then,programs must be focused in areas for which entry-level employment opportunities aregood. While this principle may appear to be obvious, it is worth enunciating.

All approved secondary programs are required to report how they determine the labormarket needs to be addressed through their training. The most commonly-reportedmechanism is that of an advisory council made up of local employers. Another reportedpractice is to use labor market projections from the Alaska Department of Labor. Mostpostsecondary programs also reported the use of advisory councils and labor statistics inevaluating current programs and developing new ones.

A problem faced by all program vocational evaluators and planners is how to define thelabor market being served. Should programs focus on the local, regional or state labormarket? Should national or Pacific Coast labor market needs be considered? GivenAlaska's geographic, cultural and demographic situation, these questions present verydifficult choices.

For areas outside the major urban areas, for example, local economies may not be able toabsorb all program completers. Yet, students may not by willing to relocate to obtainemployment elsewhere. While this situation is often cited as characteristic of rural, bushAlaska, it is also true in many of the small communities of Southeast Alaska. Evenregional economies is some parts of the state may not provide sufficient job openings toplace program graduates. For these reasons, many programs, particularly at the secondarylevel, focus on statewide needs.

The Department of Labor's Occupational Outlook reports on Alaskan occupations whichare expected to show strong demand through 2005.

114

77

Table 28: Occupations with Highest Projected Increase in Employmentby Education Level through 200522

Occupation No. Occupation No Occupation Na.AssociateDegree

:;Registered Nurse 779 Dental:;hygienist ..-'68 liViedi6iiiki6Vi tech ,109Petroleum Tech 79 Paralegal Personnel 74PostsecondaryTrainingAircraft.me046igs, ::474 1-1aVdeifkets 431 Saalitaii.a 2'3 373Travel agents 340 Welders/Cutters 202More than 12months training24

Niiiiiiiiiiirai Repair §-§' PliotsZ':priechiF6eis 6177 'CO:PAilt0 357Cooks 343 Auto Mechanics 327Less than 12months OJTqpdhirgOiriirglnitl 439 Dental assistants 349 1414.4.0,H§:1M00.60)A:P.P. 280iiSales Repsless than one-month

222 Painters/ Paperhangers 183

OJTtaiesliiiiiiis 1 ,66§1: Cishiers 1:,;295 tiiiiibliiedrciid 1126Waiters/Waitress 873 Receptionists 748

The above table indicates the restrictions of the Alaska job market. Labor economistspredict that by the year 2005, one out of every 10 Alaskans will be employed in one of thefour following occupations: retail sales, general managers, cashiers and combined foodpreparation/service workers. With the exception of managers, none of these occupationsrequires extensive training.

In the growth areas which do require training, the state offers at least one program in allof those requiring associate degrees or postsecondary training. The location of theseprograms by region and by operating institution have been given in the earlier charts.Training is also offered for many of the occupational areas requiring more than onemonth of on-the-job training. Whether or not these programs have sufficient completersto meet demand is an issue, however, since many of these occupations are characterizedby significant employment of non-residents, indicating the Alaskan labor force does notcontain sufficient numbers of trained participants. This concern is covered at more lengthbelow.

While training is provided for emerging labor market needs, a related question is if alltraining is directed at such needs. In other words, are there program which continue tooperate even though there is little or no projected demand for completers? DOL data alsoreports on occupations expected to decline over the next decade. Among these

22 Wilson, J. and Rasmussen, D., "Alaska Occupational Outlook to 2005", Alaska Economic Trends,December, 1996.23 Except Legal and Medical.24 On-the-Job or formal.

1 .1 578

occupations are several for which training is currently being provided: typists (includingword-processing), computer operators, surveying and mapping technicians, electronicrepairers and statistical clerks. All are expected to show a negative growth rate ofbetween 2 and 6 percent.

On the secondary level, enrollments in typing and computer applications account for 11.8percent of the total course enrollment (4,479 out of a total of 38,397). If unduplicatedcounts were available, this percentage may be higher as many collage-bound studentsenroll only in these vocational classes. Secondary school enrollment in bookkeeping andbasic electronics classes, however, is minimal.

Because large numbers of secondary students can be expected to leave the state aftergraduation, it is reasonable to compare vocational training in Alaska with that of thenation as a whole. The ISWEC Career Cluster project cited above has redefinedtraditional career clusters to more closely match emerging workforce needs in the nation.Secondary enrollment in these clusters is displayed in Table 29, together with anindication of the percentage of the current enrollment that is in these clusters.

116

79

Tab

le 2

9: A

lask

an S

econ

dary

Voc

atio

nal E

nrol

lmen

t in

ISW

EC

Occ

upat

iona

l Clu

ster

s19

95/9

6 Sc

hool

Yea

r by

Rac

e an

d G

ende

r

whi

teB

lack

His

pani

cA

sian

/ Pac

,ls.

""A

l(Nat

iVe'

Clu

ster

MF

MF

MF

MF

M

Biii

inei

a,:M

arke

tihg:

:and

Man

agem

ent

1;27

71.

,650

::::9

1:13

653

7813

2:15

2,..

437

Eng

inee

ring

and

Sci

ence

Rel

ated

848

330

257

169

2321

137

Hea

ttKO

ccup

atio

ns,

5092

'

1018

511

711

5

Com

mun

ity a

nd C

onsu

mer

Ser

vice

s86

264

2461

1219

1745

44

Aiti

,'Ate

dier

eate

thiii

iiiiic

iffi

iiis

::449

494

5341

2229

3451

.7:4

7A

gric

ultu

re, F

ores

try

and

Nat

. Res

ourc

es23

793

40

10

35

165

Con

stru

ctio

n O

ccup

atio

ns34

929

200

121

92

238

Ser

vice

Tec

hnic

ian

1,42

215

764

533

857

1447

2

Man

ufac

turin

g an

d P

rodu

ctio

n R

elat

ed2,

460

501

8519

446

113

2152

9

Non

-Ass

igna

ble2

52,

639

2,20

730

721

511

310

114

213

778

4

TO

tal4

SW

EC

9,92

754

1768

1:50

231

126

453

745

93;

058

Tot

al C

ours

e E

nrol

lmen

t14

,343

10,3

0111

3689

949

047

291

590

74,

923

5:Y

ii,;e

Xi$

tin IS

WE

C69

,2%

565%

60..

M:::

:55:

8%:M

035%

54.4

%58

:7%

i:::::

:50:

6%62

.1%

Tab

le 3

0: 1

995/

96 V

ocat

iona

l Enr

ollm

ent i

n C

ours

es n

ot A

ssig

nabl

e to

ISW

EC

Clu

ster

s

Whi

te:B

lack

His

pani

6A

sian

/ Pac

: is

Exi

stin

g C

lust

erM

FM

FM

FM

F

Life

Ski

lls1,

951

2,49

328

424

010

111

321

226

4

Bas

ic T

ools

.::5

66""

"15

39

07

016

,,:7

Bas

ic C

ompu

ter

Lite

racy

1796

1,80

015

915

769

9414

216

6

Tot

al.n

on IS

WE

C+

303

:4,4

40:::

::45

2!:

307

;1:7

720

737

0343

7

FT

otal

583

4,58

979

1,49

516

225

8165

325

21,

782

124

632

6872

814

12,

373

158

3,93

867

47,

319

2,17

6 23

,734

4,01

138

,397

54.3

% 6

1 8%

AK

Nat

ive

MF

Tot

al60

390

671

67

1::6

5425

21,

554

639

635

5,65

717

,796

!1,7

93fO

iii

25In

clud

es w

ork

stud

y an

d ap

plie

d ac

adem

ics,

whi

ch a

re w

ork-

rela

ted

but c

anno

t be

assi

gned

to a

ny p

artic

ular

occ

upat

iona

l are

a.

117

8011

8

Certainly, the skills being acquired in the programs listed in Table 30 are important tosuccessful adult living. However, they are skills which should be acquired by all studentsin the regular educational programs offered by the schools of the state. Once thesegeneral skill programs are factored out, less than two-thirds (61.8%) of existing secondaryvocational education programming in the state of Alaska is directed at occupationalclusters identified as important for projected labor needs nationwide

A final area to be addressed is how well current programs are anticipating occupationswhich are so new that they do not yet appear in market-demand studies. One example isin Web-site creation and development. Mt. Edgecumberecognized as a state leader intechnology educationis equipping students with high-level computer application skillswhich will allow them to respond to emerging opportunities.

Many of these new areas are suited for self-employment and reinforce the adage thatmany of today's students will create their own jobs rather than work for an establishedfirm. In acknowledgment of this fact, the Department of Education several years agoprovided funding and leadership to develop entrepreneurship programs in secondaryschools. Currently, 11 districts offer some sort of entrepreneurship training, but the totalcourse hours generated are only 155 statewide.

At the postsecondary level, small business courses are offered on most campuses. Someof these are directed at new or emerging opportunities. For example, special courses havebeen offered at Kachemak Bay campus in art marketing to assist local artists access awider audience. Sheldon Jackson College has introduced a small business minor which itrecommends for students in various majors to help them explore and develop self-employment opportunities in their own fields.

As Alaska moves from am extraction economy to a service economy, perceiving needs,planning a response and implementing a service become increasingly-importantemployability skills. It would seem therefore important for secondary and postsecondarytraining programs to emphasize these skills throughout the curriculum.

Turnover in current jobsThe relatively low projected growth in jobs in Alaska over the coming decade presents arather bleak view of opportunities for graduates of many existing vocational programs.However, most hiring in the state is in already-established jobs. New hire informationprovides another look at training needs. Among the top 20 occupations for new hiresthrough fourth quarter 1995 (the latest information available), the following require somevocational training.

11981

Table 31: New Hires (1995)

Occupation1995 New

Hires26 Occupation1995 New

Hires Occupation1995 New

Hires

Adrriin ZOO

Mechanics 1,562 Protective Service :744 Health:Tech. 272:

Other occupations with a high turn over rates (and therefore a high rate of new hires) aremining, retail and services.

Non-resident hire job areasPerhaps the greatest potential growth area for placing Alaskan vocational educationcompleters in employment is in those industries which currently employ a high number ofnon-residents. Of the 15 private sector occupations with the largest number of non-resident new hires in 1995, several require some occupational-specific training: food andbeverage preparation, carpenters, and general office occupations.

Secondary school enrollment in vocational education relevant to these three industries areCarpentry, 278 or .07 percent of the total, Office Occupations, 7,824 or 21.1 percent andCommercial Food Preparation, 248 or .06 percent.

Other occupations with high numbers of non-resident workers are the construction trades,air/water transportation and transportation services, business services, auto repair andhealth services.

Although some vocational training is provided in the state for these industries, the need toincrease such trainingwith the expressed intention of replacing non-resident hiresistermed as critical by the Knowles administration. While the problem has long beenrecognized, it is not going away. DOL reports an increase of 25 percent in non-residenthires in the oil industry between 1993 and 1995. Almost 25 percent of total hires in theconstruction industry are non-residents. In the seafood industry, more than three-fourthsof all workers are non residents.

To help address this problem, several measures have been introduced. A working groupof administration and oil industry officials has been established to address issues relatedto increasing resident hire in this industry. The STEP program has given top priority forgrant funds to programs with this mission and has funded several programs with CDQpartners in seafood processing. The Department of Labor has established a seafoodemployment coordinator to network between local employment service office, seafoodprocessors and Alaskan job-seekers. These efforts have had some success in placingAlaskan workers in higher-skilled seafood processing jobs (such as roe technicians)previously held by non-residents.

26 Figure is the four quarter average for the year.

82

The Alaska Human Resource Investment Council (AHRIC) is developing "businesslearning consortia" which will include academia, business, labor, workforce developmentspecialists, training providers and secondary/postsecondary institutions. The firstconsortium will focus on the seafood processing industry. AHRIC is also exploringarrangements with the Alaska Housing Authority which would provide training for ruralresidents in construction skills on-the-job at an Authority housing project site. Ifimplemented, the program could replace significant numbers of non-resident constructionworkers with local hires.

Although some strides are being made, problems remain. Oil industry projectionsthrough 2000 are for substantial demand for ironworkers, electricians, pipefitters, modulefabrication/NS installation and instrument technicians. But in most cases, demand is notsteady, fluctuating by several hundreds of workers between one quarter and the next insome occupations. Unless Alaskan workers have some means of support during the downperiods, many of these jobs will be filled by out-of-state residents. For occupations witha fairly steady demand, such as instrument technicians, the industry is looking for an in-state institution which can offer quality training, tailored to the industry, in a rapid-response mode. As mentioned earlier, there are significant internal and externalconstraints on public training institutions which inhibit meeting this demand.

12.E

83

III. ISSUES AND RECOMMENDATIONS

What are the duplications/gaps in the system?Given the geographic and demographic characteristics of the state, there does not appearto be much unnecessary duplication of vocational training efforts, particularly of highcosts programs. For the most part, particularly at the postsecondary level, certaininstitutions have assumed statewide responsibility for program delivery. A case in pointis the assignment of major health occupations efforts to the Anchorage campus of theUniversity. Other examples are the instrumentation program at Kenai Peninsula, therefrigeration/ heating program at Mat-Su and the medical records program at Sitka. Thenew Learning Cooperative for distance education at the University should help reduceduplication even further by delivering strong programs from one campus statewide viatelecommunications, e-mail and other technology.

For communities with postsecondary faculty and facilities, there has in the past beensome duplication between secondary and postsecondary programs. Tech prep programshave helped to alleviate this by more clearly defining the role of each institution in anarticulated program. However, these agreements need to involve more students statewidebefore faculties and facilities will be fully utilized.

It is not clear from the data where gaps exist in the programs offered. A review ofemployment trends indicates that training is offered somewhere in the state in all of thehigh growth/high turn over areas, either by unions, private career institutions or the publiceducation system. However, that more efforts need to be made seems clear from a look atnon-resident hire figures. While not all occupations employing large number of non-residents are appropriate for training, some are. Additional efforts should be made toidentify these and to develop and market appropriate programs.

Secondary programs, in particular, should examine the non-resident hire information,since many of the occupations with high rates require only limited skill training whichcould be provided at the high school level. Since many of these jobs are also seasonal,they could provide summer opportunities while the student is in high school fordeveloping the work ethic and employability skills cited as important by almost allemployers.

With respect to gaps at the participant rather than the program level, there is still asignificant difference in vocational education participation patterns of males and femalesin technical programs. At the secondary level, where gender equity efforts have occurredfor over a decade, only 18.8 percent of the 11,823 course hours earned in trade andindustrial education in FY96 were earned by females. Of the 2,501 in the more technicaloccupations under trades and industry, only 36 percent were earned by female.

1

There is some indication of gaps between what students in the Lower 48 are exposed to invocational education and what is being offered in the state. As indicated above, almost40 percent of what is classed as vocational education in the state's high schools does notfit into the career clusters identified by the ISWEC Career Cluster project. These clustersmay not be totally reflective of labor market trends, but they do indicate that at least aportion of current vocational education may no longer be relevant to the job market. Ifthese classes are found to teach valuable pre-employment skills, such as good work habitsand proper tool use, they may need to be retained but should perhaps no longer beclassified as vocational education.

A final "gap" is less of a gap than of a missed opportunity. Alaska has some uniquetraining resources which could be marketed successfully to the Lower 48 and eveninternational markets. For example, fisheries and marine technology programs inSoutheast already attract a relatively large number of non-residents. Programs in northerntechnologies should also have an appeal outside of the state. The UAA-Kenai agreementwith Sakhalin Island for petroleum technology training is a good example. Arcticresearch programs at UAA-Fairbanks yield information which could be packaged intoprograms to train skilled workers for protecting northern environments. UA programs onwater/waste water management for rural Alaska have application for other circumpolarcountries. World-class facilities such as the air traffic controller simulation unit inAnchorage have the capability of attracting students internationally.

Marketing state training resources elsewhere may run into difficulty politically if they areperceived as taking opportunity away from residents. However, importing non-residentstudents for specific vocational education programs can be a way of securing additionalresources for high cost programs with only limited market demand in-state.

What are the emerging challenges?As indicated in the above discussion, several significant trends are impacting thevocational education system of the state at present. From information gathered by thisstudy, the most pressing of these are the

Quality School InitiativeSchool to WorkWelfare reformNon-resident hiresCarl Perkins Reauthorization/Consolidated PlanProgram Leadership

Each of these trends presents challenges to the current system.

The Quality Schools Initiative, with its emphasis on high student and teacher performancestandards, provides new opportunities for close collaboration between the regularacademic program and vocational education. Through applied academics, vocational

86

education can assist in the upgrade of general academic competencies. By establishingcareer development, job readiness and occupation-specific competency standards,vocational programs can contribute toward graduating students from high school with theskills demanded in the workplace.

School funding reform proposals which are part of the Quality School Initiative makesuch standard development imperative. The funding proposal introduced this legislativesession by Governor Knowles at the request of the State Board of Education foldsprevious categorical funding categories into a "Basic Student Allocation" whichrepresents funds formally allocated separately for vocational education, bilingualeducation and special education. Districts would be free (as they are in fact now withcategorical funds) to allocate the basic student allocation in any manner determinednecessary to meet local program goals.

The challenge of this new system to local vocational education programs in the nearfuture may be more perceived than real, since the legislation includes a three-year hold-harmless provision, whereby no district would receive less funding that it does at present.However, vocational educators fear, with some reason, that once the link is brokenbetween approved vocational courses and the generation of additional funds, localdistricts will reduce an already declining fiscal commitment to vocational education.After the three-year hold harmless provisions disappears, the perceived threat to voceducation programs becomes quite real, in particular for those districts which have in thepast received a considerable amount of additional funding for vocational education. Insome ways, vocational education directors who have succeeded in building up programslocally are in the most delicate position, since their districts will probably see a decline inoverall funding (particularly is the district has also claimed high numbers of specialeducation, gifted, and/or bilingual students in the past.)

To illustrate this point, suppose a district had been receiving $100,000 for regularinstruction under the current system. In addition, by building up its vocational educationprogram and identifying a large number of high need students, the district received ananother $50,000 from current categorical programs. Under the proposed legislation, thisdistrict would continue to received $150,000 for the first three years, but then would bereduced to $100,000 for basic instruction plus 20 percent for "special need", or to a totalof $120,000. It appears obvious from this example that in Year 4, some programs orservices will be dropped to balance the budget. Under such a funding system, all priorcategorical programs must provide compelling justification for their continuation in termsof generally-agreed-upon performance standards. Programs unable to do so could take adisproportionate share of the needed cuts.

School to Work is another challenge facing vocational educators, particularly those at thesecondary level. While voc ed programs share many goals and procedures with STWefforts, the latter has a much broader scope in that it affects all students. Unlessvocational educators become an integral part of the local planning and implementation ofthese efforts, there is some danger that occupational-specific instruction for a limited

number of students will be neglected in favor of more general work readiness educationfor all. Yet, without opportunities to develop strong occupational skills in the secondaryprogram, some students will not successfully transition from school to work. In addition,unless vocational and general educators coordinate their efforts with local businesses andagencies, it is possible that existing vocational education work experience, cooperativeeducation and on-the-job training sites will be saturated or lost. Finally, School to Workcan build on the expertise of cooperative education programs which have been placingstudents in work sites for decades. Many of the issues concerning supervision, insurance,transportation, etc., which are concerning School to Work site mentors have already beensuccessfully addressed by vocational educators.

But the greatest reason for close involvement with school to work is the potential torevitalize vocational education by making it central to the secondary school enterprise.During this transformation, vocational educators may give up some of the characteristicswhich have traditionally defined the fieldtargeted funding, special advocacy, separateplans and regulations. This is causing and will continue to cause some uneasiness amongpractitioners. What vocational education stands to gain, however, is substantially morethan it is losing.

Welfare reform is on the minds of almost all current providers of vocational educationand training in the state. Universally, providers expressed concern at the demands thatwill be placed on the economy as the public assistance system seeks to place more than4,000 people in work over the next fiscal year.

Activities which count as work participation are clearly delineated in federal legislation.To be counted as participating in work, an individual must participate in one or more ofthe following activities for at least 20 hours per week:

unsubsidized employmentsubsidized private sector employmentsubsidized public sector employmentwork experience (only if sufficient private sector employment is not available)on-the-job trainingjob search and job readiness assistance for up to six weeks (no more than 4 of whichcan be consecutive)community service programsvocational education training (not to exceed 12 months for any individual)provision of child care services to an individual who is participating in a communityservice program

After the first 20 hours per week has been satisfied by any of the above requirements,individuals may participate in the following:

job skills training directly related to employmenteducation directly related to employment, if the persons has not completed highschool or received a GEDsatisfactory attendance at secondary school or education leading to a GED

88 125

job search and readiness (once the individual has exceeded the six week limit).

No more than 20 percent of individuals counting toward a state's work rate in any onemonth may meet the requirement by participating in vocational training or being an in-school teen parent. For 1998, about 850 public assistance clients would be eligible fortraining, including high school completion on the part of teen parents.

One additional problem presented by welfare reform legislation is the lack of definition ofvocational education. Therefore, states are apparently free to chose between traditionalvocational programs or short term vocational training or a combination of both. Givensome of the problems identified above concerning institutional flexibility to respondquickly to demands for short-term courses, how eligible vocational education is definedcan have significant impacts on the existing system.

Although the state could allow training for this number, it need not do so. All stateshave the option of placing people in work without trainingthe so called "Work First"philosophy. Essential assumptions of this philosophy are

the best way to succeed in the labor market is to join itwork habits and skills are developed on the job rather than in the classroomany job is a good job and can be a stepping stone to a better jobfor those unable to find work tight away, additional activities are geared to movingparticipants to work as quickly as possiblethese activities are short-term, closely monitored and immediately followed byadditional job search.27

Many of those interviewed for this report expressed reservations about the Work Firstapproach. As mentioned above, the current system has considerable experience inattempting to assist individuals more from welfare to work. All involved with theseprogram stress the need for attention to attitudes, life skills and social development priorto job placement. Given the fact that the new laws limit lifetime participation in thewelfare system to 60 months, it seems imperative that the first attempt at transition frompublic assistance to work be as positive as possible. Failures will not get many morechances.

As described above, the issue of replacing non-resident hires with Alaskans presents asignificant challenge for the existing system. Among problems to be solved are how toincrease the ability of both public and private vocational educators to respond to industrydemands, particularly in highly-technical fields and how can Alaskans participate inoccupations which experience seasonal or cyclical demand. A partial answer to the lastquestion may be to combine paid employment with subsistence in rural Alaska. In otherareas such as seafood processing, it is becoming possible for trained people to havealmost full-year work by "following the species"; e.g., moving from salmon to herring roe

410 27 from a presentation on welfare reform given by James Nor land, Director of Public Assistance, to theAlaska Human Resources Investment Council.

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processing. Other ways of helping workers deal with uneven workforce demand need tobe explored.

Carl Perkins reauthorization represents another challenge identified through interviewsand data. As mentioned several times above, Perkins funds have provided the majorsource of planning and development capital available to public and non-profit traininginstitutions. Without these funds, the flexibility of the systemalready limited by otherconstraintswill be further impaired.

Perkins funds can also fuel the comprehensive reform effort described above which has atits core the integration of academic and occupational, theoretical and applied learning forall students. The Council of Chief State School Officers, in recommendingreauthorization of the Perkins act, makes this relationship explicit. The Council calls forlinking the act "with the comprehensive reform agenda toward achievement of theNational Education Goals, and with the planning and implementation of coherent schoolto work systems and frameworks for employment and training programs."28

A related issue is the Consolidated Plan approach contained in the federal Goals 2000program. Under the program, a district with an approved plan to achieve one or more ofthe Goals may combine and commingle federal categorical funds, including Carl Perkinsmoneys. This provides a heretofore unheard of opportunity for local districts to developan integrated plan of school improvement, including improvement of students' workreadiness and occupational skills. It also serves to remove the categorical protection fromvocational education at the federal level. Whether this is a curse or blessing depends inlarge measure on how well vocational educators exhibit that their programs are integral tohigh student achievement.

Program Leadership emerged as an issue during the course of interviews conducted forthis study. Vocational educators and vocational students expressed concern that they andtheir programs were being overlooked in the school reform efforts currently taking place.Several interviewees noted the reduction in DOE vocational staff, the loss of a separatestate-level advocacy board, the moves to eliminate categorical funding at both the stateand the federal levels and the reorganization of the University system as evidence that thestate's commitment to vocational training was waning. Yet, all those interviewedexpressed a strong belief in vocational education's importance to education renewal aswell as to the economic development of the state.

What most practitioners are asking for is a clear vision of how they can fit into theinitiatives underway. Adoption of state standards for workforce preparedness, careerguidance and occupational-specific skills would help provide this vision. Support andguidance to vocational educators as they work out new roles is also needed.

28 Council of Chief State School Officers, Recommendations for the Reauthorization of the Carl D. PerkinsVocational and Applied Technology Education Act of 1990, November 13, 1994, p. 1

What can be done to improve the system?From the information reported above and from interviews conducted for this study, threebroad themes for program improvement emerged:

embrace school reform effortsengage in the state's economic development agendaprovide leadership and resources.

Under each of these themes, recommendations surfaced for programs, institutions and thestate.

1. Embrace School Reform Efforts

At the program level

Recommendation: Vocational educators must become actively involved in assistingschools to teach employability skills, integrate academic and practical learning, provideoccupational-specific skill training and connect classrooms with the community. Thisapplies to postsecondary as well as secondary programs.

Recommendation: The learnings from vocational student leadership organizationsconcerning assessment by doing and performance judged by persons outside of the schoolcommunity should be considered by other curricular areas.

At the institutional level

Recommendation: Governing boards of school districts and the University system mustrecognize the value of vocational education in meeting school improvement goals.Commitment to quality vocational training should be a part of each institution's missionstatement.

Recommendation: Once workforce readiness and career development standards areadopted by the State Board of Education, local districts should integrate these standardsinto current graduation requirements.

Recommendation: University of Alaska system should continue to offer crucial teacherand program support to local secondary vocational education programs. This includesproviding academic and hands-on training experiences for prospective and currentvocational educators; assisting is statewide curricula development and performing actionresearch on program performance.

Recommendation: Opportunities for demonstrating performance and developingleadership offered by VSLO' s should be supported at the local level and expanded toother areas of student performance.

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At the state level

Recommendation: Performance standards for all students in the areas of careerdevelopment and work readiness, which are currently under development, should beadopted by the State Board of Education. These standards should follow therecommendations of the Council of Chief State School Officers, in the document citedabove, for "internationally-competitive content and performance standards that linkacademic and occupational development, reflect the needs of employers, and assureoccupational education is part of the core learning for all students."29

Recommendation: A commonly-accepted set of career clusters should be adoptedcovering occupational areas in demand or projected to be in demand by the Alaska labormarket as emerging/growth occupations, new hires in existing occupations orreplacements of non-resident hires. Student performance standards, which integrateacademic, employability, career development and occupational-specific skills, shouldthen be developed and adopted for these clusters.

Recommendation: Performance of all public secondary and postsecondary programsshould be measured periodically in terms of student post-training job placement;earnings; enrollment in certificate and degree programs; continuation to apprenticeship orother training programs; and other agreed-upon measures of success. Resources such asthe Alaska Department of Labor wage and salary files should be utilized to assurecomparability of results across programs and comparison groups.

2. Engage in the state's economic development agenda

At the program level

Recommendation: Training institutions should examine ways in which they can supportstate efforts to reduce non-resident hire.

Recommendation: In line with the previous recommendation, training institutionsshould seek ways to assist students combine seasonal or cyclical skill employment eithersequentially or with subsistence activities as one way of reducing dependency on non-resident hire.

At the Institutional level

Recommendation: Barriers to offering short-term, industry specific courses in a rapidresponse mode should be identified and eliminated. This includes both internal andexternal program approval requirements, budget amendment processes and hiringpractices among other potential barriers.

29 Ibid., p. 2 1

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Recommendation: Institutions should be encouraged to develop programs which takeadvantage of Alaska's unique location and climate and to market these programs to theLower 48 and internationally.

At the state level

Recommendation: The Alaska Human Resources Investment Council (AHRIC), as theentity charged with comprehensive workforce development, should continue to identifyareas where training is needed, inform training institutions of this need and help securethe necessary resources.

Recommendation: Local advisory councils and other ways of assuring a close fitbetween training, labor market demands and community economic development shouldbe required of all state-funded vocational education programs. The Department ofEducation should encourage local districts to structure and empower local advisorycouncils and School To Work partnerships in a manner which avoids duplication andfosters coordination.

3. Provide leadership and resources

At the institutional level

Recommendations: Once an institution has determined to offer a program ofoccupational skill training, it should provide the staff, equipment and other resourcesnecessary to assure program quality. Because funding will continue to be limited,institutions are encouraged to explore cooperative relationships to eliminate duplicationand to fully utilize existing staff, equipment and facilities. Institutions are alsoencouraged to develop alternative delivery systems to extend training opportunities inspace and time.

At the state level

Recommendation: Capital requests for training equipment and facility maintenance needto have some opportunity for funding from the state.

Recommendation: The state should support the reauthorization of the federal CarlPerkins Act, preferably along lines which would encourage reform initiatives. Thisimplies that the current Perkins emphasis on special populations be lessened in favor ofcomprehensive, integrated program planning for all students.

Recommendation: The subcommittee of AHRIC charged with attention to vocationaleducation needs to become more visible to practitioners and to include involvement ofDOE staff.

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Recommendation: School to apprenticeship efforts should be expanded to morestudents, possibly through regional or state coordination of local school andbusiness/union efforts. The number of occupations covered by registered apprenticeshipand employer-based apprenticeship programs should be increased.

Recommendation: The experience of vocational training providers in assisting clients totransition from welfare to work should be examined and considered in setting up thestate's welfare reform system. In particular, the state is urged to use appropriate jobreadiness and occupational-specific skill training to the extent allowed under federal law.

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IV. SourcesInformation and data in this report were obtained from written documents, data bases,personal interviews and attendance at meetings related to vocational education.

Written documentsAlaska Commission on Postsecondary Education, Director of Postsecondary EducationResources 1997 (draft).

Alaska Department of EducationAdult and Vocational Education, Alaska Vocational Education State Plan for Carl D.Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Education Act Amendments of 1990,May 1994.

Adult and Vocational Education, Alaska Career Development Standards (draft),March 1997.

Adult and Vocational Education, Carl. D. Perkins Education Act PerformanceReport, 1993, 1994, 1995 and 1996 (draft).

Alaska School to Work, Overview: Alaska's School to Work Initiative, October 17,1996.

Alaska School to Work, Local Partnership Implementation and Planning Grants,FY96

Carl D. Perkins Competitive Grant Requests and Annual Progress Reports, FY94, 95and 96.

Alaska School District Annual Reports on Vocational Education, School Year1995/96.

Alaska Division of Legislative Audit, Vocational Technical Centers Funded by theDepartment of Education, Audit Report, January 1991.

Alaska Governor's Council on Vocational and Career Education, Biennial EvaluationReport: What Price Quality, November 1990.

Alaska Human Resource Investment Council, Consolidation of Alaska' Human ResourcePrograms (draft), March 10, 1997.

Alaska Job Corps Center, Alaska Job Corps Center Profile, September 1996.

Alaska State Board of Education, Foundation Funding Proposal, no date.

Alaska State Legislature, Session Laws of Alaska 1996, Chapter 107 "An Act makingchanges related to aid to families with dependent children...", approved by the GovernorJune 26, 1996.

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Alaska Statewide Service Delivery Area, 13th Annual Report to the Governor on the JobTraining Partnership Act, Program Year 1995, January 1997.

Huffman D., Development of a Marketing Strategy for Matanuska-Susitna Tech Prep,master's thesis, UAA, May, 1996.

Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Act, Sec. 521 DEFINITIONS.

Center for Occupational Research and Development, Integrated System for WorkforceEducation Curricula (draft), July 26, 1996.

Fairbanks North Star Borough School District, Vocational/Technical Education AdvisoryCouncil, Vocational/Technical Education Programs, December, 1996.

Fairbanks Private Industry Council, Annual Report, Program Year 1995, no date.

Grummon P., Assessing Students for Workplace Readiness, National Center for Researchin Vocational Education, Centerfocus No. 15, February 1997. Available at<http://ncvr.berkeley.edu/CenterFocus/cf15.html>

Hadland J., Elliot B., and Tromble K., Employment and Earnings Follow-up Study,University of Alaska Vocational Education Students, ADOL/UA Statewide Office ofVocational and Technical Education and Office of Institutional Research, April, 1994.

Hadland J., Engelam P., and Tromble K., Technical Jobs in Alaska in 1993, AlaskaDepartment of Labor, June 1994.

Johnson K., Expanding Career Paths for Alaskans Through Apprenticeship Initiativesand Models, Alaska Human Resources Investment Council, September 1996.

Kelm D., ed. and Hadland J., Nonresidents Working in Alaska-1995, Alaska Departmentof Labor, January 31, 1997.

Mosher T., "Retail and Service Dominate Top Employers" (New Hires 1995), AlaskaEconomic Trends, August 1996.

Mosher T., Hadland J., and Rae B., AVTEC: A Report on the Employment Status andEarnings of FY1994 Graduates, ADOL, Research and Analysis, June, 1996

Northern Planning and Research, Labor Market Assessment: Fairbanks, Dillingham,Bethel, Nome, Kotzebue, Interior Region, UAF-College of Rural Alaska, May, 1993.

Rae B., "Industrial Employment Forecasts for 2005", Alaska Economic Trends,December 1996.

Southeast Regional Resource Center, Statewide Needs Assessment for Alaska StateVocational Technical Education, November, 1993.

Stayrook N., and Pineault B., Vocational Education: Opinions from Students, Parentsand Local Business People on Voc Ed Programs and Career Education, Fairbanks NorthStar Borough School District, May, 1995.

University of Alaska Anchorage, Program Review, Vocational and Health RelatedPrograms, October 1993.

University of Alaska Fairbanks, College of Rural Alaska, Vocational-Technical ProgramReview, October 1993.

University of Alaska Southeast, 1993 Program Review: Certificates and Associate ofApplied Science Degrees, no date.

University of Alaska, Statewide Office of Vocational and Technical Education, ProgramReview, October, 1993.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Personal Responsibility and WorkOpportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (H.R. 3734): Summary of Provisions, August 16,1996.

U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training, State Annual Report:Alaska, May 14, 1996.

Wilson J, Hadland J, and Vinson F, Employment Status and Earnings of 1987 VocationalProgram Completers, Martin Luther King Career Center, Anchorage, Alaska, AlaskaDepartment of Labor, Research and Analysis, September 6, 1991.

Wilson J. and Rasmussen D., "Alaska Occupational Outlook to 2005", Alaska EconomicTrends, December, 1996.

Data SourcesAlaska Department of Education:

Alaska Vocational Technical Center, FY96 and FY97 Enrollment DetailLog of Grants, FY95 through FY97.School Operating Fund Audited Revenues and Expenditures, FY91 through FY96Secondary Vocational Education Enrollments, School Year 1993/94, 1994/95 and

1995/96

Alaska Department of Labor, Research and Analysis Section, Alaska Employment andPopulation Statistics

Legislative Finance Division, Alaska Department of Education Budget Appropriations,FY89 through FY97.

Office of the Governor, Budget and Management, Alaska Department of EducationProposed Budget, FY98.

University of Alaska, Statewide Network and Information Services, Fall 95 and Spring 96Enrollments in Vocational Education Courses by Ethnicity.

Academic CatalogsAlaska Pacific University

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Alaska Technical CenterAlaska Vocational Technical CenterPrince William Sound Community CollegeSheldon Jackson CollegeUniversity of Alaska AnchorageUniversity of Alaska FairbanksUniversity of Alaska Southeast

MeetingsVocational Education Directors' Worksession, February 10-11, 1997, AnchorageAlaska Human Resource Investment Council, February 6, 1997, JuneauUniversity of Alaska Advisory Council on Vocational Education, March 20, 1997,

JuneauAlaska School to Work Conference, March 17-19, 1997, Anchorage

Special Thanks to:Michael Andrews, Executive Director, Alaska Human Resource Investment CouncilJerry Balistreri, Vocational Education, Anchorage School DistrictMilton Byrd, President, Charter College, AnchorageKathleen Castle, Leadership Experiences International, AnchorageDudley Chilcott, Ilisagvik College, BarrowMarjie Conway, Admissions and Records Coordinator, Prince William Sound

Community CollegeJennifer Deitz, Owner, Career Academy, AnchorageSusan Doherty, Leadership Experiences International, AnchorageCher ly Endershaw, Director, Alaska Technical Center, KotzebueFred Esposito, Vocational Education Coordinator, Kenai School DistrictJeff Had land, Department of Labor, Research and AnalysisCurtis Hall, Apprenticeship ProgramsWalter Hall, Director, Alaska Job Corps, PalmerRandy Hughey, Coordinator, Sitka Education ConsortiumVirginia Klepser, Alaska Department of Labor, State Seafood E&T CoordinatorPam La Bolle, Executive Director, Alaska Chamber of CommerceRichard Larsen, Ilisagvik College, BarrowRuth Lister, Director, Tanana Valley Community College, FairbanksDon Lockman, Owner, Testing Institute, AnchorageMichael Mickeson, Coordinator, JTPA Service Delivery ProgramMichael Mosher, Director, Alaska Vocational Institute, JuneauRich Peluso, State Director, U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Apprenticeship and

TrainingDave Rees, Training Generalist, Alyeska Pipeline Services Company, AnchorageJim Schlegel, Director, Vocational Education, Lower Kuskokwim School DistrictDale Staley, Interim Director, School of Career Education, UAS-JuneauStudent state officers from the Alaska Vocational Student Leadership Organizations

98 1 3 Jr

Students from Business Education at Juneau-Douglas High SchoolStudents from the Medical Assistant Specialist program, Career Academy, AnchorageLinda Sture, School Director, Career Academy, AnchorageCarol Swartz, Director, Kachemak Bay Campus, University of Alaska AnchorageFlory Vinson, Associate Professor, Technology and Vocational Education, UAAPaul Williams, Alaska Department of Labor, Division of Employment SecurityMargaret Woods, Director, Bristol Bay Campus, University of Alaska Fairbanks

Staff of the Alaska Department of Education:Nancy Buell, Director, Division of Teaching and Learning SupportBernice Donnelly,Office ManagerSue Ethelbah, Vocational Education SpecialistEddy Jeans, Manager, School Finance SectionFred Lau, Director, Alaska Vocational Technical Center, SewardEric McCormick, Data SpecialistSally Saddler, School to Work DirectorNaomi Stockdale, Vocational Education SpecialistJerry Trainor, Instructional Administrator, AK Vocational Technical Center, SewardLinda VanBallenberghe, Vocational Education Director

Acknowledgment:

This report represents the collaborative efforts of the Alaska Human Resource InvestmentCouncil, Michael Andrews, Executive Dire&kir and the. Alaska Department of Education,Shirley J. Holloway, Ph.D., Cdininissioner of Education

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