The return of the apprenticeship

The commissioner of the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development spoke about the department’s efforts to expand its apprenticeship programs during Thursday’s Juneau Chamber of Commerce luncheon.

Speaking to a smaller-than-usual crowd in the ballroom of the Hangar on the Wharf, Commissioner Heidi Drygas told Juneau business owners that apprenticeships are no longer just for construction — a common misconception, she said. Moreover, these programs might help connect local businesses with employees.

“The bottom line is that there is a lot that the Department of Labor can do to assist you in finding qualified labor for you businesses,” she told the crowd, which filled about three quarters of the ballroom’s seats.

The department now has trained “apprenticeship specialists” who, as their titles imply, specialize in matching workers with jobs on which they’ll be able to train. Though apprenticeships are most commonly associated with construction work, Drygas said that the department is now placing people in apprenticeships in the healthcare and mining fields as well.

This is important because while construction jobs statewide are declining, the number of jobs in healthcare is on the rise, and the department expects this trend to continue, Drygas said.

“With a more limited pool of money going into construction, we are doubling down to make sure that Alaskans get the jobs that are available,” she said.

She urged any Juneau business interested in taking on an apprentice to reach out to the DOL. During her presentation, she also invoked business owners to push state lawmakers to develop a “comprehensive fiscal plan” before the legislative session ends.

Drygas warned that the Legislature can’t cut its way out of its precarious budget situation. According to Drygas, the only way the state can close its nearly $4 billion budget gap is by using Permanent Fund earnings, exploring “broad-based revenue solutions” (an income tax) and, yes, doing a little bit of cutting, too.

“Cuts alone are not going to get us there,” she told the audience, which filled about three quarters of the seats in the ballroom of the Hangar on the Wharf. “We need to use the Permanent Fund earnings fund, and we need new revenue even if that is a difficult pill to swallow.”

• Contact Sam DeGrave at sam.degrave@juneauempire.com or at (907) 523-2279.

More in News

The Norwegian Bliss arrives in Juneau on Monday, April 14, 2025. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire file photo)
Ships in port for the week of May 11

This information comes from the Cruise Line Agencies of Alaska’s 2024 schedule.… Continue reading

A person uses a garden hose in an effort to save a neighboring home from catching fire during the Eaton Fire on Jan. 8, 2025 in Altadena, California. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)
Dozens of members of Congress from both parties plead with Trump to unfreeze FEMA grants

Sen. Murkowski part of group drafting letter urging FEMA to begin spending already OK’d by Congress.

The six members of a joint House-Senate conference committee appointed to resolve differences in their versions of next year’s proposed state budget sign documents at their initial meeting Tuesday, May 13, 2025, at the Alaska State Capitol.
PFD of $1,000 or $1,400? Ban on abortion funds or not? Fate of state’s budget now in hands of six legislators

Conference committee seeks to resolve 400 differences in House, Senate budgets as session nears end.

Boxes of sugary cereal, including those from General Mills, fill a store’s shelves on April 16, 2025, in Miami, Florida. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
US House Republican plan would force states to pay for a portion of SNAP benefits

State costs would increase with higher error rates — Alaska currently has the highest.

Juneau Board of Education members including Will Muldoon (foreground), whose seat is currently open after he resigned April 21, meet at Thunder Mountain Middle School on Sept. 10, 2024. Five candidates for the open seat are scheduled to be interviewed on Saturday at TMMS. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)
Five people seeking open seat on Juneau school board set for public interviews on Saturday at TMMS

Former board member Steve Whitney, recent runner-up candidate Jenny Thomas among applicants.

Jörg Knorr, a solo travel journalist from Flensburg, Germany, smiles after taking a photo on Sunday, May 11, 2025. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire)
German kayaker sets off to circumnavigate Admiralty Island

He made friends along the way in his mission to see Alaska.

A cruise ship docks in downtown Juneau on April 30, 2025. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)
As foreign tourists stay away, US could lose $12.5 billion this year, tourism group says

Border detentions, confusion over visas deterring visitors, according to World Travel & Tourism Council.

Phase One of the HESCO barriers ends in the backyard of this residence on Rivercourt Way on Monday, May 12, 2025. The next extension, Phase One A, will install the barriers along the river adjacent to Dimond Park from the end of Rivercourt Way, interconnecting through a gap in the back fence. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire)
Juneau Assembly approves extending HESCO barriers

After reviewing flood-fighting inundation maps, additional short-term mitigation deemed necessary.

House Majority Leader Chuck Kopp (R-Anchorage), right, presents an overview of a bill reviving pensions for public employees during a House floor session Monday, May 12, 2025. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
House passes bill reviving pensions for public employees, Senate expected to consider it next year

Supporters say it avoids pitfalls in previous system nixed in 2006 due to multibillion-dollar shortfall.

Most Read