Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
Prince William Sound College (PWSC), a community campus of the University of Alaska Anchorage, has been approached several times in the past few years by regional land management agencies for a solution to a lack of a local skilled workforce. Many jobs are advertised for local hire but are often not filled by community members due to a lack of qualified applicants. In response, PWSC has developed the Natural Resources Technician Occupational Endorsement Certificate (NRTOEC). The funding here will provide support for 40 students to participate in the program over the course of the 4 years of funding, approximately 10 students a year. The objectives of this program are to 1) train students in skills related to natural resource management; 2) directly connect students with employment opportunities and agencies; 3) provide students in high school, immediately after high school, or later in their lives with a pathway to natural resource careers. This will fill an employment gap in Alaska in which land management agencies are unable to fill these positions with local hires, leading to a need to hire externally or positions going unfilled. This will also increase student interest in careers related to natural resources.The training will take place over the period of one semester at PWSC. It will consist of four 3-credit core courses (Biota of Alaska, Conservation of Natural Resources, Small Group Communication, and Earth Systems) and four additional credits from 1- and 2-credit courses, such as CPR/First Aid and internships. Participants will be recruited from high schools by direct contact with the schools as well as from non-high school populations through social media campaigns and connecting with employment agencies and career centers. This program will work directly with land management agencies to ensure the skills they need are being taught. These agencies will also directly provide some of the training by sending their employees to PWSC to instruct the students as guest instructors. Students will live in Valdez, AK and take classes in person at PWSC. The classes will focus on place-based, experiential learning. The program includes assessment and evaluation on multiple levels. The students will be evaluated in each class through formative assessments related to the skills and knowledge required for natural resource management positions. They will complete a program evaluation and the number of students that apply to jobs related to natural resource management at the end of the program will be considered as well. The program faculty will meet to discuss the results of the student assessments as well as the program's successes or possible improvements. The PI will meet with the advisory board prior to the next implementation to report outcomes of these assessments and ensure the skills being taught are up to date with their needs. The project's ultimate goal is to fill technician-level positions with natural resource management agencies. These positions are necessary for the seasonal work carried out by the agencies and if they are not filled the understaffing can lead to less effective management. This will also increase interest in careers in natural resources, a field with an ever expanding need for skilled workers.
Animal Health Component
(N/A)
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
(N/A)
Developmental
(N/A)
Goals / Objectives
The main goals of this project are 1) train students in skills related to natural resource management; 2) directly connect students with employment opportunities and agencies; 3) provide students in high school, immediately after high school, or later in their lives with a pathway to natural resource careers. The objectives related to these goals areTrain students in skills related to natural resource management40 students will be trained over the course of this fundingStudents will demonstrate these skills in assessments, includingcreation of a local field guidea demonstration of a skill related to natural resource managementa course projectoral presentationDirectly connect students with employment opportunities and agenciesConnections will be made by inclusion of natural resource management professionals in skill instructionPotential jobs will be emailed to the students and compiled into lists able to be easily accessed by the studentsStudents will be introduced to USAJobs.comResumes and interview skills will be practicedProvide students in high school, immediately after high school, or later in their lives with a pathway to natural resource careersStudents will be recruited through direct connection with high schools, home school programs, Alaska Native Corporations, Economic Development Districts, among others. Ads will be run on social media and in the Bushmailer.Jobs available to the students immediately and soon after the program completion will be highlighted in a list of possible jobsStudents will be advised about Associates and Bachelor's degrees that this program can feed into that build towards a career in natural resources
Project Methods
Effort: The program will be carried out in a semester-long intensive format during which the students will come to the PWSC campus in Valdez, AK for training in four 3-credit core courses and four additional credits of 1- or 2-credit courses. All of these courses will focus on hands-on training that provide the students with the skills and knowledge necessary for successful employment. Two of the four core courses also fulfill General Education requirements for PWSC and the University of Alaska Anchorage providing students with the opportunity to continue on to an Associate's or Bachelor's degree if they choose. The students will receive instruction in skills and techniques from professionals working in the natural resource field and will be guided through application to technician-level positions. This will increase their employment opportunities as well as fill the employment gap felt by the land management agencies in filling technician-level positions with local, skilled employees.Evaluation:At the onset of the program, students will take a survey related to their experience with natural resource field techniques and skills. Students will then be evaluated throughout the program with specific assessments in each course. Each of these assessments addresses at least one Student Learning Outcome (SLO) of the program. The assessments are 1) a demonstration of skills used in natural resource management; 2) an oral presentation; 3) the creation of a field guide; 4) developing and leading a lesson on a natural resource management skill or concept; 5) a course project. Individual course instructors will assess these. The PD and SP will then compare the assessment grade to the student survey, coding each on a scale from "high increase in skill" to "no increase in skill" for use in program assessment.Program assessment will begin in Spring 2023, after the first iteration of the program, and will continue each subsequent year. The program assessment will consist of analyses of student grades within each course, across courses, and throughout the program. Students will also complete program evaluations, which the instructors will review annually. The number of students that apply to jobs related to natural resource management at the end of the program will be considered as well. Further, the instructors will write a short synopsis of how their course went, positive aspects and how it could be improved. The program level assessment will be collected and analyzed by the PD and SP. All instructors will meet within a month of the end of the program to discuss these, the program's success, and possible improvements based on these lines of evidence.The number of students applying to, being offered, and successfully maintaining throughout one season natural resource management positions will all be used as measures of success. Prior to the next iteration of the program, the PD and SP will have another listening session with land management agencies to get input about how they thought the program went and if any of their needs have changed. Based on all of these results, individual courses as well as program goals and practices will be modified for the next iteration.