UAF Tanana Valley Campus Establishes Presence in Delta Junction

Submitted by Scott McCrea
Phone: 474-1157
02/06/03

The Tanana Valley Campus at the University of Alaska Fairbanks is partnering with the Alaska Department of Labor to provide workforce development training and college courses in Delta Junction.

"Given the current and future economic situation in Delta Junction, this was a perfect time for us to establish a presence in the community," said TVC Director Jake Poole.

"We want to be able to address the needs of the residents, whether it is providing them with career training skills or college classes that they can apply towards a degree."

The training will be based out of the Delta Junction Job Center, which is funded by the Alaska Department of Labor. The center offers services to employers and job seekers alike, including skills assessment, job searching, accessing the State of Alaska Job Bank through the internet, and guidance in the preparation of resumes and employment applications. The center also has technical resources available to the public, including computers, a copier, a fax machine, and a large television/VCR for viewing training videotapes.

"Our aim is to help each employee find the right business, and to help each business find the right employee," said TVC Workforce Development Coordinator Bruce Grossmann. Grossman, a former academic advisor for the University of Alaska Military Programs, is also tasked with helping TVC develop a collegiate presence in Delta Junction. TVC is looking at a variety of potential course offerings, ranging from computer business applications to Russian.

"I’m out talking to people in the community and at the high school to see what their needs are," said Grossman. "If the interest is there, we’ll do everything we can to get it up and running."

Located 98 miles southeast of Fairbanks, Delta Junction is the future home of the National Missile Defense installation, which is scheduled to be operational by fall of 2004. The installation is part of a high-tech system to keep missiles from being successfully launched against the United States. Based out of Fort Greely, the installation is expected to bring millions of dollars as well as numerous job openings to the community.

CONTACT: TVC Delta Junction Workforce Development Coordinator Bruce Grossmann, (907) 895-3216, fnbg@uaf.edu or TVC Marketing Coordinator Scott McCrea at (907) 474-1157, fnsjm@uaf.edu.