A new Wasilla High career program looks to boost the local workforce by teaching adults

What you need to know:

• A new Wasilla High School program will provide free after-hours technical career education to Ukrainian refugees, with plans to expand training opportunities to all Mat-Su residents.
• The refugee career and English programs are funded by federal grants. The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) is managing the refugee career training grant as well as a pending $3.3 million Department of Labor grant for the broader program.
• Wasilla High School’s technical training program has already helped students earn more than 600 industry-recognized certifications in fields such as construction and engine repair, school officials said. Local leaders view the initiative as a way to address regional workforce shortages, boost economic development, and attract new businesses.

WASILLA - A new program starting at Wasilla High School this year will provide free after-hours technical career education to Ukrainian refugees as part of a long-term plan to expand similar training to all Mat-Su residents, school officials said.

The Warrior Nation Community Schools program will meet weekly in a series of evening classes starting later this month, school officials said. It will teach technical skills, including construction and electrical work. The program complements a long-running evening English as a second language class for adults and school-age refugees hosted at the school, officials said.

The new career program aims to help Ukrainian refugees access technical education while boosting the area's skilled trades workforce, said Wasilla High School Principal Jason Marvel, who has helped lead the effort. It will also serve as a model for expanding workforce training throughout the Mat-Su region through a related program to be launched later this year.

Refugee programs in Alaska are funded by millions of dollars in federal grants administered by Anchorage-based Catholic Social Services and managed by various organizations.

In Mat-Su, the refugee English language program is managed by the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District, while Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9365 in Wasilla will manage the about $76,000 grant for the refugee career program. The VFW will also administer a pending $3.3 million Department of Labor grant that will fund the broader workforce training initiative.

The school district was originally set to manage the refugee career training grant, but the school board late last year declined to oversee the program because it does not specifically target students.

Since 2022, about 420 Ukrainian refugees have relocated to Mat-Su through the federal resettlement program, district officials said at a recent school board meeting. About 120 students are currently enrolled in Mat-Su schools, they said. Refugee families receive guidance in applying for state and federal benefits, as well as some financial assistance.

Marvel said that introducing adult education programs at Wasilla High School, first for refugees and then for other community members, is a natural next step because the school already offers a robust technical career training program for students.

Since 2021, students at the school have earned more than 600 industry-recognized certifications in areas such as engine repair, construction and electrical training through a program with the National Coalition of Certification Centers, Marvel said. Wasilla High is the only coalition site in Alaska.

“We already have the people. We’re going to use the existing platforms, existing infrastructure – everything – and collaborate with local partners to increase reach and variation of programs,” Marvel said.

City and state officials see the career programs as a way to help local workers while boosting Wasilla's economy, Marvel said. A three-year Anchorage economic report released in 2023 warned of a regional shortage of skilled workers, while a report commissioned by the city in 2023 identified workforce development as a top priority for attracting new businesses.

“Workforce development and economic development, that goes hand in hand for the betterment of the community as a whole,” Wasilla Mayor Glenda Ledford said in an interview about the program last month. “I totally support community schools because it can make or break a community in a lot of ways.”

The programs do not require school board approval because the district does not fund or administer them, Marvel said. Instead, they will use school space through an after-hours facility rental program. He said the VFW will employ educators for the refugee and community career programs.

While the Department of Labor grant has not yet been awarded, Marvel said his team anticipates approval based on communication with federal officials. Letters of support for the grant application have been submitted by several local and state officials, including Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy and Sen. Dan Sullivan, he said.

VFW officials acknowledged that the programs seem like an unusual fit for the organization, which traditionally focuses on military veterans and their families.

But many veterans groups, including the VFW, have expanded efforts to help refugees from countries where U.S. military personnel have served, said retired Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Bret Copple, who oversees Wasilla High's Junior ROTC program and volunteers with the local VFW. And because the Mat-Su has the highest per capita veteran population in Alaska — about than 13% — any community workforce development program in the area will benefit veterans, Copple said.

“The valley needs employment, they need training centers like this to put people to work,” Copple said. “And so who benefits from that is the veterans and veterans’ families who end up staying here.”

Marvel hopes the program will eventually operate out of its own facility on the Wasilla High campus and expand to multiple locations across Mat-Su. For now, the focus is on starting small.

“It goes back to helping make your community better,” Marvel said. “I feel like helping to build something in your community that really supports a need is vitally important.”

-- Contact Amy Bushatz at abushatz@matsusentinel.com