Anchorage Daily News

Competition names 10 best workplaces

The best places to work in Alaska were recently announced. In order, the winners were:

• Edward Jones, a financial services firm with offices throughout the Railbelt.

• Meridian Management Inc., an Anchorage project management and environmental services business.

• Coffman Engineers Inc., an engineering services firm with an Anchorage office.

• CIRI Alaska Tourism Corp., an Anchorage-based owner of hotels and day-tour boats.

• TelAlaska Inc., an Anchorage-based rural phone, cable TV and Internet business.

• PCL Construction Services Inc., a Canada- and U.S.-based firm that has done work in Alaska.

• Alaska USA Federal Credit Union.

• Hattenburg Dilley & Linnell, an Anchorage-based engineering firm.

• Residential Mortgage, an Anchorage-based mortgage originator.

• Fairbanks Memorial Hospital & Denali Center.

The competition is run by Best Companies Group with the Alaska Journal of Commerce and the Society for Human Resource Management in Alaska. It involves a questionnaire completed by the company on its benefits, policies and demographics, and a survey of employees.

Kiddywinks sells furnishings and decor

Kiddywinks Elegant Children's Furnishings and Gifts has opened in the Anchorage Fifth Avenue Mall on the first floor across from Once in a Blue Moose. Kiddywinks is an infant and children's designer furnishings and decor boutique. Hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. The phone number is 279-5757.

Disabled people get help with job hunt

The state's job service has added technology to help disabled people with job hunts, according to the Department of Labor and Workforce Development.

Twelve job centers -- including two in Anchorage, one in Wasilla and one in Kenai -- recently obtained "assistive technology" computer stations. This equipment, at a cost of $8,500 per station, gives users the option of speaking to enter information into a computer rather than using a keyboard, hearing the information rather than reading it on the computer screen, and enlarging the type and images on the screen. In Anchorage, this technology is available in the Job Centers at 1251 Muldoon Road and 3301 Eagle St.

In addition, the department staff includes five people whose services include helping job seekers with disabilities look for work or training and educating employers about accommodating people with disabilities. Two of these specialists work out of the Job Center in Muldoon, with one of them also serving Mat-Su.

ADVERTISEMENT