Alaska Works

What Alaska Works does

Alaska Works Partnership (AWP) is a 501(c)-style non-profit workforce development organization established in 1996 by Alaska's Building and Construction Trade to channel Alaskans into union construction apprenticeships. Headquartered in Anchorage with additional offices and training centers in Fairbanks, Mat-Su (Wasilla), and Kenai, AWP operates four physical sites and connects participants to partner academies in Kenai, Juneau, and Ketchikan. Its mission centers on reducing reliance on non-resident labor in Alaska's construction industry by providing free introductory training in trades including carpentry, welding, plumbing, electrical, weatherization, sheetrock, telecommunications, ironwork, sheetmetal, HVAC, heavy equipment operation, and building maintenance.

The organization's core products are the Alaska Construction Academies (pre-apprenticeship training), Helmets to Hardhats (veterans), Women in the Trades (STEP), Rural Apprenticeship Outreach (RAO), Youth Training Programs, and the Adivo handyman-app partnership for short-term work experience. Supporting services include WorkKeys testing, apprenticeship application assistance, and financial support (lodging, per diem, child care, tools) for accepted apprentices. AWP serves individual Alaskans — adult job seekers, veterans, women, youth, and rural residents — rather than enterprise customers, and has documented thousands of placements across 140+ communities since inception.

AWP has no traditional commercial revenue model. All training is free to participants, and the organization is funded through a portfolio of government grants (Alaska Department of Labor & Workforce Development, U.S. Department of Labor, Alaska Legislature, Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities) and private/partner contributions. The most disclosed single funding instrument is a $7,314,668 U.S. Department of Labor award covering 100% of the Alaska's Employment Services program. Programmatic funding mixes include Construction Academies (53% state-funded), STEP Women in the Trades (10% state-funded), Local Hands Initiative (25% federally funded by U.S. DOL), and 12% private/partner contributions. The go-to-market is community-led: direct outreach, referral networks through Job Centers, military transition programs, tribal councils, school districts, and unions, supplemented by a website, Facebook (Anchorage + Fairbanks pages), and Instagram presence.

Name

Alaska Works

Legal name

Alaska Works Partnership

Website

https://alaskaworks.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Alaska Works Partnership is a 1996 Anchorage-based non-profit that provides free construction pre-apprenticeship training and apprenticeship placement services to Alaskan adults, veterans, women, youth, and rural residents across four statewide offices.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Workforce Development Services

NAICS

Apprenticeship Training (611513), Technical and Trade Schools (6115)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

Apprenticeships, Internships & Work-Based Learning Programs (BPACANAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Skilled Trades (Electricians/Plumbers/HVAC/Carpenters) Staffing (BPACAEAB), Incumbent Worker Training & Upskilling (EDAAAOAE)

Keywords

• Construction training
• Workforce development
• Apprenticeship programs
• Pre-apprenticeship training
• Trades education

Headquarters

HQ city

Anchorage

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding: Alaska Works Partnership is funded through grants from government and private sources including Alaska Department of Labor & Workforce Development, U.S. Department of Labor, Alaska Legislature, Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities, and member organizations. Funding breakdown: Construction Academies 53% state-funded, STEP Women in the Trades 10% state-funded, Local Hands Initiative 25% federally funded by U.S. Department of Labor, 12% from private/partner funding. Alaska's Employment Services program is 100% funded by U.S. Department of Labor through an award of $7,314,668.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Alaska Works Partnership provides free, hands-on construction trade pre-apprenticeship training and apprenticeship placement services to Alaskans. Programs cover trades including carpentry, welding, plumbing, electrical, weatherization, sheetrock, telecommunications, ironwork, sheetmetal, HVAC, heavy equipment operating, and building maintenance, with specialized cohorts for veterans, women, youth, and rural residents.

Product overview

Alaska Works Partnership is a non-profit organization established in 1996 that operates as a construction training and workforce development organization rather than a traditional software company. The organization provides a portfolio of free training programs and support services designed to connect Alaskans with careers in the construction, mining, oil & gas, maritime, and transportation industries. The core offerings include the Alaska Construction Academies (providing introductory training in trades like carpentry, welding, plumbing, electrical, and weatherization), the Helmets to Hardhats program for veterans, Women in the Trades programs, Apprenticeship Outreach services, and Rural Apprenticeship Outreach. Additional services include Youth Training Programs, the Adivo partnership for on-demand work experience, Support Services for apprenticeship participants, WorkKeys testing, and printable training materials. The organization partners with Alaska's Building Trades, the Alaska Department of Labor & Workforce Development, the U.S. Department of Labor, and Nine Star Education & Employment Services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Alaska Construction Academies (ACA): Free introductory training in several trades skills including carpentry, welding, plumbing, electrical, weatherization and more. Located in Anchorage, Mat-Su Valley, Fairbanks, and connecting to other academies in Kenai, Juneau, and Ketchikan.
• Helmets to Hardhats
• Women in the Trades
• Rural Apprenticeship Outreach (RAO)
• AWAY Program

Products and services

• Alaska Construction Academies Free introductory training programs in construction trade skills including carpentry, welding, plumbing, electrical, weatherization, and more, offered in Anchorage, Mat-Su Valley, Fairbanks, Kenai, Juneau, and Ketchikan. Classes are conducted in a safe, controlled co-ed environment.
• Helmets to Hardhats Program designed to serve veterans, transitioning service members, National Guard, Reservists, and active-duty spouses, helping them connect to quality careers and training in construction.
• Women in the Trades Training program providing hands-on training and opportunities for women in a female-only learning environment, offering the same construction training as men receive but in a supportive setting.
• Rural Apprenticeship Outreach (RAO) Program providing rural community members statewide with information on apprenticeship application deadlines, construction training opportunities, and educational apprenticeship information through case managers and community outreach.
• Alaska Apprenticeship Outreach Program that assists Alaskans with applying and gaining entry into Alaska's construction trade apprenticeships, providing information on trades, referral assistance, document gathering help, interview skills, and referrals to community resources.
• Youth Training Programs Programs including the AWAY apprenticeship program designed to introduce youth to construction trades careers and provide early training opportunities for young Alaskans interested in building careers in the construction industry.
• Support Services Financial and logistical support services for apprenticeship participants including lodging, per diem, ground transportation, child care, book and class fees, necessary work clothing, and tools of the trade.
• WorkKeys Testing Services Assessment services administering WorkKeys tests including Graphic Literacy, Workplace Documents, and Applied Math, which are required by several local apprenticeship programs.

Quantifiable outcome

• Thousands of Alaskans trained and placed in construction careers
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Alaska Building TradescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1996Alaska Building Trades established Alaska Works Partnership in 1996 and remains a core strategic partner. The organization provides a steady pipeline of apprenticeship opportunities and industry connections for AWP graduates.
• Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce DevelopmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary government funding partner providing grants for Construction Academies (53% of funding) and other workforce development programs. Provides regional Job Centers that offer support services including lodging, per diem, transportation, child care, and book fees for apprentices.
• Nine Star Education & Employment ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey partner for employment services that helps Alaskans get a job, keep a job, and advance on the job. Administers WorkKeys testing for apprenticeship applicants at various Anchorage locations.
• AdivominorGTM or Marketing PartnerAlaska's first on-demand handyman app partnership that creates a stepping stone for AWP participants to apply their training, gain hands-on experience, and prepare for apprenticeships or careers in the trades. AWP participants receive a lower commission rate through this collaboration.
• Alaska Apprenticeship Training Coordinators Association (AATCA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerComposed of Joint Administered Training Committees (JATCs) that engage in providing quality training for construction apprentices in Alaska, offering enhancement classes for journeymen and Construction Academy courses.
• NABTU - North America Building Trades UnioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational union association dedicated to stability of employment and economic security of organized construction workers, creating work opportunities and protecting benefit standards.
• Cook Inlet Tribal Council (CITC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTribal nonprofit organization helping Alaska Native and American Indian people in the Cook Inlet Region reach their full potential through education and employment services.
• Fairbanks Pipeline Training CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides training opportunities for Alaskans to enter registered construction apprenticeship programs for careers in oil and gas and construction industries, including pipeline, pump stations, and facility construction and operation.
• JBER Soldier for Life - Transition Assistance ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMilitary transition program assisting service members and families with career and educational transition from military to civilian life through the Helmets to Hardhats program.
• Fort Wainwright Soldier for Life Transition AssistanceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTransition Assistance Program helping soldiers prepare for civilian success through career readiness, educational, and entrepreneurial opportunities.
• Denali CommissionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndependent federal agency providing critical utilities, infrastructure, and economic support throughout Alaska with focus on remote communities.
• Anchorage School DistrictminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partner focused on student learning, achievement, and lifelong success with equitable access and opportunity for all community members.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Building Pathways: Greater Boston-area pre-apprenticeship program for underrepresented groups entering union construction trades. Closely mirrors AWP's pre-apprenticeship curriculum, union partnership structure, and equity-focused mission in a different regional market.
• ConstructReach: National nonprofit connecting underrepresented populations (women, people of color, youth) to careers in the construction industry through training, mentorship, and apprenticeship pathways. Operates with a similar mission and target populations as AWP but at national scale.
• Per Scholas: National nonprofit providing free technical and trades training (including construction-adjacent and skilled trades pathways) to underserved adults with employer-led placement. Shares AWP's free-to-participant model and workforce-development intermediary structure, though heavier on tech.
• Oregon Tradeswomen: Nonprofit providing pre-apprenticeship and supportive training programs for women entering skilled construction trades in the Pacific Northwest. Mirrors AWP's Women in the Trades program model with female-only learning environments and direct apprenticeship placement.
• Tradeswomen Inc. Nonprofit advocating for and training women in non-traditional skilled trades including construction. Comparable to AWP's Women in the Trades program in mission, supportive training environment, and apprenticeship placement focus.
• Helmets to Hardhats: National nonprofit connecting transitioning service members, veterans, and military spouses to registered construction apprenticeships and career paths. Operates AWP's same core model at national scale and shares the Helmets to Hardhats program brand that AWP delivers regionally.

Broad incumbents

• Job Corps: Federally funded residential career training program for young adults that includes construction trades training among many vocational offerings. Overlaps AWP's youth-training and pre-apprenticeship scope but at national scale and across multiple industries.
• North America's Building Trades Unions (NABTU): National umbrella for unionized construction trades that sponsors apprenticeship programs nationwide. AWP is a direct grantee/partner and serves as a localized funnel into NABTU-affiliated apprenticeship pathways; the union structure defines the apprenticeship slots AWP participants feed into.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/alaskaworks
• Instagraminstagram.com/alaskaworkspartnership

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Alaska Works