In 2006, nonresidents comprised nearly 20 percent of Alaska's workforce and earned roughly 13 percent of the total wages. That's up from 2005, when nonresidents made up just over 19 percent of all workers and earned 12.2 percent of total wages.

The number of nonresident workers could increase exponentially if a proposed natural gas pipeline is green lighted. According to state economist Jeff Hadland, a continuing long-term deficit of Alaska workers in an industry or occupation - especially in the oil and gas industry, which paid nearly $330 million in nonresident wages in 2006 - suggests an unmet training need.

Hadland said that anytime additional workers are needed for a large-scale, long-term project like a mine or gas pipeline, there's inevitably an influx of nonresident workers to the state. In anticipation of such projects the state has made an effort to implement training programs for not only future jobs, but for the roughly 113 occupations currently experiencing shortages.

Alaska's oil industry, which includes both oil and gas extraction and oilfield services, increased its total number of employees by more than 25 percent from 2005 to 2006.

Following the upward trend, total oil industry wages jumped nearly 28 percent from 2005 to $1.14 billion in 2006. Nonresidents earned 28.7 percent of the total wages in 2006, nearly twice the statewide private-sector average of 15.5 percent.

Hadland said that although nonresident workers may take jobs that Alaskans are unwilling, unable or unqualified to fill, data suggests a significant number of unemployed Alaskans could be employed if given the opportunity. The occupations with large numbers of nonresidents that pay relatively high wages - such as the oil and gas extraction industry, which has an average quarterly wage of nearly $35,000, the highest in the state - represent an opportunity for training programs in Alaska or a new career path for unemployed Alaskans.

Fred Esposito, director of the Alaska Vocational Technical Center, has worked over the last 10 months to develop training plans and programs for the construction, maintenance and operations of a gas pipeline. Currently, the training center enrolls roughly 1,800 students a year in programs such as diesel/heavy equipment, welding, industrial electricity and construction.

“We do have a shortage of workers now and we know that shortage will grow,” Esposito said. “We're working to define the issues, problems and solutions.”

Rural Alaskans could help fill both long- and short-term employment gaps, but education and training programs are currently limited outside the state's urban areas.

A year ago, Gov. Sarah Palin passed legislation that allocated funds to five pilot programs in the Matanuska-Susitna Valley, Ketchikan, Fairbanks, Juneau and Kenai, in addition to the Anchorage Construction Academy, which has been running since October 2006. Students choose from several career paths at the academy. The skills they acquire are in high demand all over the state, particularly in the oil and gas sector.

According to Department of Labor Commissioner Click Bishop, the pilot program is looking to expand to rural hub communities throughout the state.

Still, economist Hadland said he expects the upward trend of nonresident hire to continue, even as total oil production declines.

“There were no big surprises this year,” he said. “It varies year by year, of course, depending on the economy, but I would envision more nonresident employment over the next decade as more large-scale projects commence operation. That's why there's been a bit effort to implement these training programs.”

Bishop said Alaska will probably never achieve its goal of 100 percent in-state hire, “but we can do a better job. There's a lot of room to expand registered apprenticeships and grow our workforce.”