PROJECT SUMMARY
Name of ProjectAlaska Job Corps Center
Location of Project
Palmer, Alaska
Client
U.S. Department of Labor
Description of Work
Since 1993, Chugach has operated the Alaska Job Corps Center in Palmer, Alaska. Chugach is an adept education provider, capable of proactive recruitment and outreach efforts. Chugach maintains a safe and secure center that fosters community and workforce relationships. Chugach responds to local business and workforce needs by educating students in core service areas and adapts programming to develop curriculum to serve business needs.
Unique Challenges
Chugach removes potential barriers of a student’s success through a robust program that teaches life skills in addition to their education. The Center recruits students from rural and remote Alaska. Many students’ homes are small villages without basic infrastructure, including running water in homes. Students arrive in Palmer, Alaska, and navigate a world of paved roads, vehicles, and a pace of life not found in Alaska’s remote communities. The Center’s staff emphasizes independent living support and autonomy in daily life. They present expectations for self-sufficiency during the first weeks at the Center and throughout the students’ training period. Students set goals and are empowered to develop their career in their chosen trade, ensuing successful job placement.
Solutions
Graduates learn to interview, time management, and the availability of local agencies and organizations that provide support services, including alcohol and drug abuse treatment, budgeting, housing assistance, and family planning. Chugach leverages community resources to support career readiness. The Center’s partnerships include housing placements, childcare, banks, health care, counseling, and transportation. In addition, relationships with One-Stop Centers and other career centers provide Job Corps students with access to career counseling and job search assistance. Our partners host popular workshops covering topics such as, resume building, computer basics, and apprenticeship information.
