** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND COLLEGE (PWSC), A COMMUNITY CAMPUS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA ANCHORAGE, HAS BEEN APPROACHED SEVERAL TIMES IN THE PAST FEW YEARS BY REGIONAL LAND MANAGEMENT AGENCIES FOR A SOLUTION TO A LACK OF A LOCAL SKILLED WORKFORCE. MANY JOBS ARE ADVERTISED FOR LOCAL HIRE BUT ARE OFTEN NOT FILLED BY COMMUNITY MEMBERS DUE TO A LACK OF QUALIFIED APPLICANTS. IN RESPONSE, PWSC HAS DEVELOPED THE NATURAL RESOURCES TECHNICIAN OCCUPATIONAL ENDORSEMENT CERTIFICATE (NRTOEC). THE FUNDING HERE WILL PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR 40 STUDENTS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM OVER THE COURSE OF THE 4 YEARS OF FUNDING, APPROXIMATELY 10 STUDENTS A YEAR. THE OBJECTIVES OF THIS PROGRAM ARE TO 1) TRAIN STUDENTS IN SKILLS RELATED TO NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT; 2) DIRECTLY CONNECT STUDENTS WITH EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES AND AGENCIES; 3) PROVIDE STUDENTS IN HIGH SCHOOL, IMMEDIATELY AFTER HIGH SCHOOL, OR LATER IN THEIR LIVES WITH A PATHWAY TO NATURAL RESOURCE CAREERS. THIS WILL FILL AN EMPLOYMENT GAP IN ALASKA IN WHICH LAND MANAGEMENT AGENCIES ARE UNABLE TO FILL THESE POSITIONS WITH LOCAL HIRES, LEADING TO A NEED TO HIRE EXTERNALLY OR POSITIONS GOING UNFILLED. THIS WILL ALSO INCREASE STUDENT INTEREST IN CAREERS RELATED TO NATURAL RESOURCES.THE TRAINING WILL TAKE PLACE OVER THE PERIOD OF ONE SEMESTER AT PWSC. IT WILL CONSIST OF FOUR 3-CREDIT CORE COURSES (BIOTA OF ALASKA, CONSERVATION OF NATURAL RESOURCES, SMALL GROUP COMMUNICATION, AND EARTH SYSTEMS) AND FOUR ADDITIONAL CREDITS FROM 1- AND 2-CREDIT COURSES, SUCH AS CPR/FIRST AID AND INTERNSHIPS. PARTICIPANTS WILL BE RECRUITED FROM HIGH SCHOOLS BY DIRECT CONTACT WITH THE SCHOOLS AS WELL AS FROM NON-HIGH SCHOOL POPULATIONS THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGNS AND CONNECTING WITH EMPLOYMENT AGENCIES AND CAREER CENTERS. THIS PROGRAM WILL WORK DIRECTLY WITH LAND MANAGEMENT AGENCIES TO ENSURE THE SKILLS THEY NEED ARE BEING TAUGHT. THESE AGENCIES WILL ALSO DIRECTLY PROVIDE SOME OF THE TRAINING BY SENDING THEIR EMPLOYEES TO PWSC TO INSTRUCT THE STUDENTS ASGUEST INSTRUCTORS. STUDENTS WILL LIVE IN VALDEZ, AK AND TAKE CLASSES IN PERSON AT PWSC. THE CLASSES WILL FOCUS ON PLACE-BASED, EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING. THE PROGRAM INCLUDES ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION ON MULTIPLE LEVELS. THE STUDENTS WILL BE EVALUATED IN EACH CLASS THROUGH FORMATIVE ASSESSMENTS RELATED TO THE SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE REQUIRED FOR NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT POSITIONS. THEY WILL COMPLETE A PROGRAM EVALUATION AND THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS THAT APPLY TO JOBS RELATED TO NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AT THE END OF THE PROGRAM WILL BE CONSIDERED AS WELL. THE PROGRAM FACULTY WILL MEET TO DISCUSS THE RESULTS OF THE STUDENT ASSESSMENTS AS WELL AS THE PROGRAM'S SUCCESSES OR POSSIBLE IMPROVEMENTS. THE PI WILL MEET WITH THE ADVISORY BOARD PRIOR TO THE NEXT IMPLEMENTATION TO REPORT OUTCOMES OF THESE ASSESSMENTS AND ENSURE THE SKILLS BEING TAUGHT ARE UP TO DATE WITH THEIR NEEDS. THE PROJECT'S ULTIMATE GOAL IS TO FILL TECHNICIAN-LEVEL POSITIONS WITH NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AGENCIES. T,HESE POSITIONS ARE NECESSARY FOR THE SEASONAL WORK CARRIED OUT BY THE AGENCIES AND IF THEY ARE NOT FILLED THE UNDERSTAFFING CAN LEAD TO LESS EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT. THIS WILL ALSO INCREASE INTEREST IN CAREERS IN NATURAL RESOURCES, A FIELD WITH AN EVER EXPANDING NEED FOR SKILLED WORKERS.