Workforce Development: We build brighter futures

By Michael Mausbach, Program Manager for Workforce Development and SSP Regional Catalyst

Program Manager for Workforce Development Michael Mausbach leads monthly calls to continue to provide space for workforce development stakeholders to gather, share updates, connect and collaborate. Michael has since overseen the merger of the ongoing workforce development calls and the regional career and technical education calls offered by the Alaska Postsecondary Access and Completion Network, with more than 90 invitees. Participants included Sealaska, Tlingit & Haida, Tribal offices and various municipal, school district, Federal, state and non-profit representatives. Additionally, a new Southeast consortium of career and technical education providers has been formed, with Michael facilitating a “strategic doing” session to inform their initial projects and associated timelines. This consortium includes Alaska Native corporations, Tribal, district, higher education and nonprofit partners. Catalyzed projects included a Southern Southeast

Career and Technical Education intensive through the Prince of Wales Vocational and Technical Education Center (now Generations Southeast), as well as a Northern CTE intensive in Juneau at the University of Alaska Southeast.

Spruce Root’s Work Readiness and Soft Skills curriculum was revised to reflect a strengths-based and empowerment approach rooted in place and culture. Ten people from Shaan Seet Incorporated and Klawock Cooperative Association participated in two days of the curriculum in partnership with Generations Southeast.

Building off the success of the sessions in Klawock, a second session was held in partnership with Sitka Tribe of Alaska and Tlingit & Haida’s Youth Employment Services Program to support 10 Indigenous youth entering the workforce for the first time. The program was also offered to Alaska Youth Stewards program crew members in tandem with Spruce Root’s Financial Wellness Curriculum in Angoon and Kake.

Michael also began serving on the steering committee for the Alaska Youth Stewards and will support continued planning and development activities for leaders and crew members.

Spruce Root partnered with Sealaska Heritage Institute to deliver a one-day virtual retreat, bringing together 12 educators and participants of Sealaska Heritage’s Box of Treasures program to develop professional capacity and identify opportunities to build career pathways and dual enrollment options for high school-age youth. Michael also facilitated a workshop for Sealaska Heritage’s Northwest Coast Arts summer career programs.

Career Coaching was delivered through partnerships with Sitka Trail Works and Sealaska’s Internship program for young Indigenous professionals in setting and achieving career goals. One-on-one career coaching was also provided to regionally-based participants of the Sealaska Internship program, SSP partners and internal staff.

In conjunction with their work with the Sustainable Southeast Partnership, Michael supported a third-party 10-day training for Klawock Indigenous Stewards Forest Partnership members. Together with Terra Verde Inc. of Juneau, in partnership with the Alaska Division of Forestry, trained eight KISFP members in field sampling and GIS mapping techniques. Six program participants secured year-round employment and position funding as a result of program completion and will support a long-term forest field study for the Alaska Department of Natural Resources.