Speed interviews held in two Alaska cities

By Rindi White

n an effort to build a stronger bridge between higher education and construction industry employment efforts, the Construction Leadership Council, or CLC, partnered with the Associated General Contractors, or AGC, of Alaska’s Education, Training and Workforce Development Committee to host two speed interview events, one in Anchorage and a second in Fairbanks. It was the first time the event has been held in Fairbanks in several years.

“We have a huge workforce demand and need in Alaska’s construction industry,” says Associated General Contractors, or AGC, of Alaska Training & Workforce Development Director Ruby Oatman. Oatman and Shelby Mintken, contract administrator for Exclusive Paving and the CLC chair in Fairbanks, organized the Fairbanks event. Oatman, Anchorage CLC co-chair Kiersten Russell and Education, Training and Workforce Development committee member Heather Sottosanti led the Anchorage event.

At CLC Speed Interview events, construction industry representatives sit at tables while students cycle through, spending five minutes at each table doing short interviews with representatives of each business. The goal is to secure internships or jobs with companies for summer work. Oatman says many of the participants did walk away with placement lined up.

About a dozen college students took part in the March 2 Anchorage speed interview event, with fourteen construction-industry companies represented. In Fairbanks, six participants and four companies turned out for the April 11 event, and every student looking for a position came away with one.

“It was small but it was a success,” she says. “We’re definitely planning on putting on another one in the future.”

Mintken says because the event hadn’t happened in Fairbanks for several years, it was challenging to get info out to students who might be interested in taking part. But discussions with student attendees helped lay plans for future events.

She says, “We will be increasing outreach next year.”