The first goal of Alaska’s AHEC is to encourage Alaskans from disadvantaged backgrounds into health careers.The health care industry provides many jobs in Alaska and is one of the state’s fastest growing industries, employing about 22,000 people(1). The range of health care occupations includes a wide variety of educational and skill requirements from on the job training to master’s level and higher degrees. Employment can be found across the state in both urban and rural Alaska. This trend is expected to continue into the foreseeable future. Over 43,600 jobs are projected in the health care and social assistance category in 2014(2). Each of the Alaska AHEC centers has staff dedicated to recruiting Alaskans into health careers. They are involved in exposing Alaskans of all ages to the wide range of health careers through a multitude of activities. Examples of these activities include:

• providing tours and job shadowing experiences in a health care setting

• arranging for guest speakers from a wide variety of health professions for classrooms, community events, and youth organizations

• attending career fairs

• coordinating several summer health programs such as U-DOC/Della Keats and the biomedicine module of the Alaska Summer Research Academy in Fairbanks, as well as the annual Mini-Medical School hosted by the Alaska WWAMI biomedical program

• organizing and sponsoring HOSA (Health Occupations Students of America) Chapters throughout the state

• working with school teachers, counselors, and principals to bring health care career information into the schools

• encouraging those in career transition or those re-entering the work force to consider health care as a career option

These are just a few examples of staff activities. To learn more about what each center is doing in terms of recruiting Alaskans into the health field, please visit the following websites:

YK-AHEC in Bethel
Interior AHEC in Fairbanks
South Central AHEC in Anchorage
Southeast AHEC in Sitka: Website coming soon.

The Alaska AHEC Program Office has also created a web based Health Careers in Alaska guide; a one-stop resource with information on:

• over 50 Alaska health career descriptions
• profiles of Alaska health professionals
• links to Alaska academic health programs
• financial aid information
• college planning tips for high school students
• career exploration ideas
• camps and internships revolving around health and scienceCheck it out! http://www.healthcareersinalaska.info/

1. Fried, N. & Kieth, B. (April 2003). Alaska’s Health Care Industry. Alaska Economic Trends, p.3.
2. Cannon, J. & Lee, Y. and Lee (November 2006). A 10-Year Industry Forecast. Alaska Economic Trends, p.8.