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the job site, are also taught in class- room sessions, Hardy said. The Anchorage training center, in Chugiak, provides services for 1,800 to 2,000 members and apprentices year- ly with about 20,000 “contact hours” of training, Hardy said. The school is well situated to serve Anchorage as well as Matanus- ka-Susitna Borough communities. There is an on-site dormitory for out-of-town trainees with 26 beds and kitchen and dining facilities that are staffed. The 10-acre site at Chugiak allows for training that can closely sim- ulate real-world job sites, provid- ing more hands-on experience. The three state-of-the-art classrooms in the facility are equipped with smart- boards and Wink walls that turn en- tire walls into erasable whiteboards, allowing students a variety of diverse
tical” construction on buildings, work best done in summer. Because of this steady cycling, workforce retention is good for Local 341 members, Merrick said. Training for new members and continuing training is always needed to ensure that Alaska Laborers mem- bers can be safe on the job and effec - tive at what they do. The work ranges from support for pipeline construc- tion and installation, which is done at the union-operated Fairbanks Pipe - line Training Center. Some of this is also done at the training center in Chugiak and there is also training needed for support of civil construction like grade check- ing, concrete pouring and laying of asphalt, said Gabriel Hardy, Local 341 training director. There is a wide va- riety of skill classifications involved including the safe handling of haz- ardous materials and waste. Skills like “construction math,” often needed on
but ConocoPhillips is still busy at Willow, which will begin production in 2029. There’s a lot of other North Slope work, including projects by ConocoPhillips in the Kuparuk River and Alpine fields on the Slope, which are producing. It appears the new oil work will continue, too. Santos is already plan- ning a phase two expansion of Pik - ka and is also engaged in preliminary work on development of new oil dis- coveries south of Pikka. Willow, when it is built, will also become a hub for new oil finds expected in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPR-A), where Willow is located. The oil work fits nicely with oth - er industries supported by Local 341 members because North Slope activity peaks in winter and slows in sum- mer, which allows Alaska Laborers to shift to work on highways and “ver-
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RESPONSIBLE. SUSTAINABLE. INNOVATIVE. SAFEGUARDING AN AMERICAN TREASURE
Operating in a national monument means our license comes with exceptionally high environmental expectations and the smallest footprint possible. We take pride in using technology and innovation to minimize our impact. Small and smart – that’s the Hecla way
hecla.com/operations/greens-creek-alaska
Photo Courtesy Alaska Laborers
Alaska Laborers Training Schools are located in Anchorage and Fairbanks, and serve the training needs for construction craft laborers statewide.
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THE LINK: The Official Magazine of the Alaska Support Industry Alliance | SUMMER 2026
www.AlaskaAlliance.com
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