Training Tomorrow's Workforce Today
Preparing a qualified workforce is one of the most important missions of the university, as is represented in the UA Workforce Development Priorities and Guidelines. UA is committed to preparing today's students to be the next generation workforce, recognizing that tomorrow's careers will require advanced skills, greater knowledge and more flexibility than ever before. The Office of Workforce Development's role is to facilitate industry-driven training and degree programs focused on providing skilled Alaskan workers for Alaska jobs.

Teri Cothren
Associate Vice President
Workforce Development
(907) 786-1171
tgcothren@alaska.edu

Workforce Plans
CTE
Funding Opportunities
Dual Enrollment
UA provides various dual enrollment options to expand access to postsecondary for K-12 students, from classroom or online courses to middle college to college-level courses being delivered through agreements with school districts.
UA Workforce Reports Feature Graduate & Employment Outcomes
- The University of Alaska offers more than 200 programs in workforce development from
non-credit industry certifications to advanced degrees.
- UA and the Department of Labor and Workforce Development collaborated to produce workforce reports on key Alaska industries.
- The workforce reports illustrate UA graduate outcomes and employment success.
- Data demonstrates that higher education increases income, reduces unemployment, increases
Alaska hire rates and increases job retention.
- Reports can be used to assess UA programs and graduate outcomes, guide program development and investment and aid students in program selection.
Career Coach

Career Coach is a free tool for current and prospective students to match interests to a career, learn about in-demand careers, browse programs tied to jobs and find current job postings in Alaska. Download: Flyer 1 or Flyer 2
UA Workforce Development News
UA Workforce Development has a blog. Click here to learn about funding opportunities, see what is new in workforce development around the state and receive information on federal initiatives. To receive regular updates, provide your email address on the left column of the blog.
News
-
Opinion: University of Alaska is one of our state’s greatest assets
February 23, 2021
Nearly a year since the first case of COVID-19 was discovered in Alaska, the pandemic continues to shake the state’s communities and economy. Many Alaskans are still out of work and struggling financially. The Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development reports average job losses for 2020 were 12,400, an 8.3 percent loss in employment … Continue reading Opinion: University of Alaska is one of our state’s greatest assets
Read article -
Alaska Higher Education Almanac 2021
February 19, 2021
Alaska’s unique challenges in higher education and workforce training shape the Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education’s (ACPE) strategic goals, and provide opportunities for innovation. One of these challenges is connecting communities of students and education leaders with the information they need about the overall state of higher education in Alaska and about postsecondary education institutions … Continue reading Alaska Higher Education Almanac 2021
Read article