The Anchorage Economic Development Corp.’s annual economic forecast luncheon this week cautiously provided good news: the end of the four-year recession in 2019. That assumes several important factors like the price of oil and the adoption of a fiscal plan avoiding large economic shocks or big job cuts.
The invited speaker, Chris Fair, talked about how Anchorage can build on its strengths to attract and retain business. Over the years, Fair has studied many cities to identify critical factors that help build strong economies and strong communities. One factor that came up many times was well-educated, trained, talented people.
When we think about the categories of our economy forecasted to grow (health, transportation, visitor industry), it’s clear that the University of Alaska and education and training programs across the state are a significant part of the equation.
The University of Alaska is our state’s largest provider of workforce training — and it’s training in areas that are growing. The university provides more than 80 percent of our nurses — nearly 100 percent in some rural communities. More than 70 percent of UAA’s engineering and computer science students have jobs prior to graduating, largely due to successful partnerships with industry. Graduates of UAA’s Career and Technical College programs in hospitality and culinary arts, construction, and transportation have nearly 100 percent job placement. Alaska’s growing industries partner with the university to insure they can meet their workforce needs, confirming Chris Fair’s assessment that strong economies are supported by well-educated, trained and talented people.
For these reasons, I propose a small change in the AEDC motto: Making Anchorage a great place to Live, Work and Play. As we focus on building a strong economy, let’s include another important pillar of success: Making Anchorage a great place to Live, LEARN, Work and Play.
— Fran Ulmer
Anchorage
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