TVC students on fast track to high-demand jobs

Submitted by Darcy Duvlea
Phone: (907) 455-2878
06/07/06

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Fairbanks, Alaska--This week more than 90 students at the UAF Tanana Valley Campus are beginning a new, intensive 9- to 12-month training program in six high-demand job categories.

Students in the Fast Track training program will prepare for careers in automotive technology, diesel and heavy equipment repair, drafting, power generation, safety, health and environmental awareness, and instrumentation. The program is a partnership between TVC and business and industry to produce high-quality graduates able to meet the emerging workforce needs of Alaska.

"TVC has worked closely with experts in each of the program areas to ensure that our graduates will meet their current and future workforce needs,"? said TVC director, Rick Caulfield. "Our goal is to produce 90 highly qualified graduates a year and provide them with an opportunity to build a network with other students and industry professionals."?

Prior to being selected for the program, applicants went through an application and interview process. Students are participating in a June 7-8 orientation designed to help them successfully complete the program. During the two-day event, they will meet with program faculty and attend seminars on topics such as goal setting, time management, dealing with math anxiety and learning styles. In addition, the students will hear from community and industry partners including Fred Villa, University of Alaska associate vice president for workforce development, and Nikki Adams, regional manager of the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development.

The TVC Fast Track training program is funded through a $1.99 million U.S. Department of Labor grant and provides hands-on training to anyone who is currently employed but looking for a new career, anyone currently working in one of the certificate fields and looking to upgrade their skills, or anyone requiring new skills and training to obtain a job. Applications for the next cohort are available at www.tvc.uaf.edu/programs/Fasttrack/.

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Contact: Dr. Rick Caulfield, TVC director at (907) 455-2800 or via email at ffrac@uaf.edu or Laura Lee Potrikus, project coordinator at (907) 455-2906 or via e-mail at fnllp@uaf.edu.