Teacher Industry Externships

This program was conducted during spring 2008. Funding may be available next year through another organization. Please contact Sheila Finkenbinder at 907-738-3098 for more information.



Randy Hughey, a teacher at Sitka High School, learned to design and build a staircase, which will help him teach a new skill to his students as well as helping his industry host, Mike Vieira of Vieira Home Building.

He also took some time to interview several employers in non-carpentry areas of construction, so that he could take back information about how to become a plumber, electrician, heavy equipment operator or mechanical system technician.

Thirdly, he took time to upgrade the SHS Construction Technology program to meet the Carl Perkins IV standard for a Career and Technical Education Program of Study.

Photo on right: Randy Hughey and Rich Vieira

Rich Calkins, a Mt. Edgecumbe High School teacher, created some DVDs with Bill Spivey, the Physical Therapist at Sitka Community Hospital. Some of the DVDs will help Rich's students learn how to properly tape ankles prior to participating in sports. Others contain interviews of several individuals working in the PT field at SCH, and will help inform Rich’s students about the opportunities available in the field and how to prepare for these jobs.


Photo: Bill Spivey, SCH PT; Rich Calkins and Britley Calkins

Project Summary

With a grant from the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Sitka Works will partner with businesses in the Construction, Health Care and Resource Development industries to offer business-related externships for educators working with students in grades 7 through 12.

Business externships provide educators with opportunities to: upgrade their knowledge, discover ways of making their instruction more relevant for students, and learn more about careers in high growth industries. The educator extern will work with a business mentor for up to 2 weeks (80 hours), complete a project for the business, gain a valuable professional growth experience, earn 3 credits from UAA, and receive a stipend of $2000.

Alaska’s Teacher Industry Externship (TIE) program was developed by the Alaska Process Industry Careers Consortium (APICC) to help bridge the gap between education and the workforce. In APICC’s first two years, participating educators stated that the most important thing they gained from their externship experience was “information on the opportunities for employment in the mining industry,” “a better understanding of the expectations of the workforce,” and “the variety of jobs available in the oil and gas industry.”

Sitka Works is adopting APICC’s model to work exclusively with Sitka educators and Sitka businesses in the high growth industries mentioned above.

Sitka’s Teacher Industry Externships will all happen between now and June 30, 2008.

Employers benefit by:

• Working with teachers who have a variety of transferable skills
• Voicing ideas about the role of schools
• Investing in tomorrow’s workforce
• Using the workplace as an environment for learning

Teachers benefit by:   

• Understanding the application of academic and technical skills
• Researching ways to motivate student learning and interests
• Gaining resources for curriculum development
• Updating their skills

Students whose teachers participate, benefit by:

• Understanding how education helps them achieve their goals
• Having more relevant instruction as it relates to real world application
• Being more motivated to learn