With its needs for workforce de - velopment, the business community has a responsibility to step in and help, she said. Epperheimer is a small company but has decided to make an investment in future Alaskans. “We encourage other businesses in the trades to explore opportunities for partnering with schools to in - spire students to consider careers in the trades,” Arbelovsky said. “Initia - tives such as mentorship programs, apprenticeships, and work-based learning experiences can help raise awareness. Many students are un - aware of the rewarding, well-paying career paths available within their own communities — paths that can provide stability and the option to remain local.” Epperheimer has also partnered with Kenai Peninsula Economic De - velopment District, with Arbelovsky joining KPEDD’s Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy committee to help promote work - force development in the community.
update with computers and informa - tion technology, that seems main - ly in areas including applications on cellphones, and Arbelovsky finds many students lack knowledge of how to work with desktop computers and other systems commonly used in the workplace. All of this starts with business - es reaching out to schools and get - ting into classrooms to meet and talk with students. Epperheimer has also started visiting middle schools to make younger Alaskans aware of the opportunities they have and, hope - fully, to get them interested in the industrial trades. Private companies have stepped in to supplement what the schools are able to offer. “There are a lot of budget pres - sures on schools. Teachers and coun - selors are now limited on what they are able to do. They can’t be proac - tive anymore to do things like reach - ing out themselves to businesses and community members to come into the schools. This is because of a lack of resources,” Arbelovsky said.
The company now typically works through December and resumes work in late January and February. A warm winter helps in the application of coatings on metals, which is mostly done outdoors. But the longer work season is helping Epperheimer retain skilled workers and recruit new ones. The Kenai Peninsula School Dis - trict has long taught career prepa - ration and education including in - dustrial skills like welding in its schools but its schools, like those across Alaska, have been under bud - get stresses. Industrial skills courses are expensive to operate and many school districts have had to cut back on these to maintain core academic programs. Arbelovsky said she is surprised at how basic some of the skills-train - ing needs are for students she works with. Fundamental understandings of tools and how to work with them once were taught at home or in shop classes at school are often missing and must be learned. Surprisingly, while young people today are thought to be quick on the
— Tim Bradner
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