SitNews - Stories in the News - Ketchikan, Alaska

Alaska Construction Career and Maritime Trades Career Day at Ketchikan Shipyard

 

October 11, 2013
Friday PM


(SitNews) Ketchikan, Alaska - Monday, Columbus Day, the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (ADOT&PF), Vigor Alaska, Southern Southeast Alaska Technical Education Center, and Ketchikan Gateway Borough School District will join forces for the first time to provide career and technical education opportunities for students at the Alaska Construction Career Days & Maritime Trades at the Alaska Ship & Drydock in Ketchikan.


jpg Alaska Construction Career and Maritime Trades Career Day at Ketchikan Shipyard

Alaska Longline's new freezer-longliner Arctic Prowler was launched by Vigor Alaska in Ketchikan on Monday, October 7, 2013. The Arctic Prowler was christened on October 4, 2013.
Photograph by Carl Thomposon ©2013


This event is the first to emphasize the maritime trades that will be held at a shipyard in the nation.  The event will provide an opportunity for high school students to explore and interact with industry experts to help aid the students in mapping out career paths within the construction industry.

More than 230 students from the Ketchikan School District and neighboring island schools within Southeast Alaska will visit the Ketchikan shipyard to learn more about career opportunities in the maritime sector on Monday. Other participating school districts include Hydaburg, Wrangell, Petersburg, Metlakatla, and Craig.  

Students will be able to explore interactive exhibits, trade industry displays and heavy equipment demonstrations at the Ketchikan shipyard. Planned activities include hands-on participation with welding; marine electrical; joinery; machinist; CNC cutting; electric power generation; oil and gas occupations; marine engineering and naval architecture; knots,  splicing, and ropes; and even float plane maintenance.   Representatives and employers of the Alaska and Pacific Northwest region marine and construction industry sectors will be providing career information along with hands-on experiences for students and participants.

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

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

“This event is the first US DOT  event in the nation to emphasize the maritime trades and to be held at a shipyard. This event will provide an opportunity for high school students to explore and interact with industry experts to aid them in mapping out career paths within the construction industry.” Norma M Lucero, ACCD Coordinator, said.

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

‘Alaska’s Construction Career Days’ (CCD) are funded by the US Dept. of Transportation Federal Highway Administration. Construction Career Day events are workforce development tools which introduce high school students to the transportation construction industry and support the pipeline that will provide the professionals of tomorrow. Since 1999, 497,872 students have participated in CCD events across the nation.

The Alaska Construction Career and Maritime Trades Career Day at Ketchikan Shipyard is scheduled from 8:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., Monday, October 14.

Homeschool students and other youth who want to participate may call Vigor Industrial at 225-7199 for more information.

 

Edited by Mary Kauffman, SitNews

 

On the Web:

Additional career day information
http://akconstructioncareerdays.org/

For Vigor Alaska employment opportunities
http://vigorindustrial.com/vigor-alaska

Source of News: 

Alaska Department of Transportation
www.dot.state.ak.us

Vigor Alaska
vigorindustrial.com/vigor-alaska

E-mail your news & photos to editor@sitnews.us


Publish A Letter in SitNews

Contact the Editor

SitNews ©2013
Stories In The News
Ketchikan, Alaska

 Articles & photographs that appear in SitNews may be protected by copyright and may not be reprinted without written permission from and payment of any required fees to the proper sources.