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TECHNOLOGY
Testimonials from Alaskans in the construction trade

TOP: The Construction Industry Progress Fund partnered with Brilliant Media Strategies on a social media campaign, featuring 60-second video spots from Alaskans working in construction trades and providing testimonials relating to their work.

LEFT: Testimonials from Alaskans in the construction trade are available on Build Alaska’s website—build907.com.
Brilliant Media Strategies

Changing the Narrative
CIPF social media campaign plans to flip the script on the construction industry
By Samantha Davenport
T

he Construction Industry Progress Fund has launched a social media campaign aimed at improving the overall image of Alaska’s construction industry—and encouraging young Alaskans to join the field.

Alicia Siira, executive director of Associated General Contractors of Alaska, says students often hear the message that after high school, college is the only path to success. She hopes that the campaign will showcase the rewarding career opportunities available within the industry for those of all levels of experience.

“There are, unfortunately, several factors working against us in terms of recruiting the next generation of construction workers,” Siira says. “One factor is an unmerited stigma associated with trades work and aversion to career pathways that don’t involve college. The truth of the matter is that a career in construction is an incredible, long-term option for anyone, with great benefits and interesting work.

There are so many avenues and opportunities to work in the construction industry and earn a great living right out of high school or military service.”

November Launch Seeks New Talent
CIPF partnered with Brilliant Media Strategies on the social media campaign that features 60-second video spots from Alaskans working in construction trades and providing testimonials relating to their work. The campaign was launched during AGC’s virtual annual conference.

With the help of AGC, CIPF was formed in 2000. Siira says the partnership between the two organizations is mutually beneficial and complements both missions.

“The mission of CIPF is to advance the interests of the construction industry in Alaska,” Siira says. “CIPF leads the direction of campaigns and efforts to improve the image of the construction industry in Alaska, and AGC provides administrative and staff support on those initiatives.”

Jim Fergusson, president of CIPF, has been involved with the organization since it was founded.

“AGC and CIPF both are trying to improve the image of the construction industry,” Fergusson says. “If AGC goes out there and convinces 100 people to go into the construction industry, that pays off for CIPF. Our goals are the same.”

For 37 years, Fergusson has worked in Alaska’s construction industry. He hopes the campaign will make Alaska’s younger generations aware of it as a successful career path.

“There’s a whole culture out there that unconsciously—and maybe not intentionally—attempts to drag young people away from the construction industry,” Fergusson says. “This is all I know. I’m very passionate about trying to get people into this industry.”

“You can easily make $50,000 to $70,000 a year in the Alaskan construction industry—you can do that with no college tuition bills,” Fergusson says. “What we are trying to do is make young people aware of the fact that construction is a viable career. We are trying to bring young people into the construction industry. It is no secret that right now, the construction industry in Alaska is hurting. The economy in Alaska is hurting right now. The state funds are hurting severely right now, and a lot of our work comes from those state funds, the capital budget.”

Getting the Right Message to the Right People
Jesse Hale is the majority partner/owner at Alcan Electric and the CIPF vice chair. He says he tried college before moving into the construction industry.

“Ultimately I tried out college as a career path and it was a square peg, round hole scenario, it was not for me,” Hale says. “It was a mistake on my part to try and force that. Higher education is great, but if you are not interested and that’s not where your heart is, it is really not worth it for anybody.”

Hale says he hopes the campaign gets in front of the right people who may be in the same situation he was once in.

“We struggle finding enough eager hands to enter into the programs, whether it be a registered apprenticeship program or even entry level positions into the construction trade. I think that we struggle because we’re not getting in front of enough people,” Hale says.

“If you lined up 100 people that worked in the construction industry and asked them what was the part they enjoyed the most, they would all tell you something along the lines of, ‘I like driving around town, looking at the buildings or the roads or the bridges that I built.’ That is a common, recurring mantra out there,” Fergusson says.

Videos from the campaign are available on Build Alaska’s website—build907.com.

Samantha Davenport is a freelance writer living in Anchorage.