This year's training was held in Fairbanks Oct. 22 to Nov. 1. Over 100 apprentices from across the state were trained as pipefitters, operators, laborers, Teamsters and surveyors. Nearly 25 percent of this year's class was comprised of trainees from rural Alaska and roughly 10 percent were women.

Trainees practiced all phases of pipeline construction as a combined workforce, including fabricating support members, installing road crossings, assembling and welding a 2,000-foot pipeline 12 inches in diameter and operating heavy equipment.

The goal was to simulate a typical pipeline job, and the entire operation ran 24 hours a day. When the equipment shut down at night, fueler and maintenance apprentices went to work.

The event was hosted by Alaska Works Partnership, the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development, the Denali Commission, local contractors and Alaska's four pipeline unions - Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 375, Laborers Local 942, Operating Engineers Local 302, and Teamsters Local 959. Various companies, including ConocoPhillips Alaska Inc., BP Exploration (Alaska) Inc. and Alyeska Pipeline Service Co., donated equipment and personal protective gear.

A training site demonstration was held Nov. 1.

According to Mike Andrews, director of Alaska Works Partnership, this type of training is unique. “It's out of this world - literally, no one else does this,” Mike Andrews said. “It sets the stage for meeting the work demand in the years ahead.”

AWP has been involved with the training over the last four years. AWP is a statewide non-profit corporation representing all of Alaska's building and construction trade unions and their federally registered apprenticeship and training programs. It provides recruitment, financial and logistical support for the pipeline training.

“The pipeline training program is amazing,” Mike Andrews said. “When you can have 100 new trainees and apprentices being taught by the pros, with millions of dollars worth of equipment and no injuries, it's great for Alaska.”

According to Mike Andrews, those trainees and apprentices will be in high demand. Two major contracts were awarded this fall: Replacement of 16 miles of 48-inch heavy wall pipe on the pipeline, and ConocoPhillips recently released a three year contract to NORCON Inc. for work on their infrastructure.

“There's more work now than ever for these trainees,” Mike Andrews said.

Gerry Andrews (no relation to Mike Andrews), apprenticeship coordinator for the Alaska Department of Labor, agreed. He said the apprenticeship model gives Alaskans the opportunity to work in resource development and a number of apprenticeable trades.

According to the Department of Labor, registered apprenticeships combine quality on-the-job training with theoretical and practical classroom instruction. For apprentices, that can mean higher wages, skills versatility, portable national credentials and the opportunity for college credit. The benefits for employers include a highly skilled, specialized workforce, reduced turnover and less worker compensation costs due to an emphasis on safety training.

Apprentices can even earn college credit. For University of Alaska students pursing an Associate of Applied Science degree in apprenticeship technology, up to 38 credits can be awarded upon completion of an apprenticeship program approved by the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training. A college degree also helps puts apprentices on the fast track to project management.

There are currently 75 apprenticeable trades in Alaska ranging from construction and manufacturing to service/retail and health care. Gerry Andrews predicts apprenticeships will become more visible over the next six months to two years as trainees and employers recognize the benefits of registered apprenticeships.

David Matthews, vice president and Alaska area manager of H.C. Price Co. in Anchorage, has been a supporter and in-kind sponsor of the program since its inception six years ago. H.C. Price is a pipeline construction company that has been active in North Slope development since the 1970s.

“We have observed the market over the years, and it's time to train and bring in a new generation of workers,” Matthews said. “It's a good thing to provide training for rural Alaskans as well as replace our aging workforce.”

Matthews credits the methodology of combining hands-on practice with classroom teaching for giving trainees the skills they need to succeed on the job. He also credits each of the four unions for contributing something to their skill set.

Matthews has recruited training program graduates over the years and says its been a boon to his business.