President's Message
Kevin Hostler, President and CEO

Investment in education is investment in Alaska’s future

As a young man I came to Alaska to work in the oil industry. I spent time on the North Slope and worked here in Anchorage for nearly four years. That was in the early 80s when the state was beginning to prosper economically as a result of Prudhoe Bay. It was an exciting time and the opportunities were abound. Nearly 30 years later, I am back. And, I can tell you there is just as much opportunity in the science and engineering fields. One of the challenges we face as an industry is having enough people to fill the critical need areas of our technical workforce. The University of Alaska has increased the number of engineers that have graduated yet we still need more to fill the jobs offered.

Our goal at Alyeska is to help develop the next generation of engineers by investing in Alaska’s engineering and technology education and by helping to provide internships and training opportunities. This connection between the academic world and industry leaders has been established for some years, and I am personally committed to maintaining that relationship.

I recently provided the University with an installment check that provides scholarship money for the upcoming academic year to students in the Alaska Native Science and Engineering Program (ANSEP) at UAA. Alyeska has been funding engineering scholarships for ANSEP since 1995 and has also provided funding for the construction of the new 14,000 square foot ANSEP building on UAA’s campus. We also recently made a multi-year commitment to the Alaska Pacific University to help support university education for rural Alaskan students and for developing experienced technical and craft professionals into vocational instructors.

Annually, the company invests $750,000 to support education and developmental opportunities. Since 1996, Alyeska has awarded more than $6 million to Alaska Native students pursuing higher education. The investment yields a more qualified and diverse pool of employees to fill these technical positions. ANSEP has a 70 percent retention rate, which is impressive when compared to the 27 percent national average retention rate for indigenous engineering students in similar programs. This summer, seven ANSEP students will be working on the pipeline system from Pump Station 1 in Prudhoe Bay to the Valdez Marine Terminal.

Alyeska has as great a need for engineers as any company in the state. I view it as my responsibility to create a highly competitive market for engineers, where industry and state benefit from this educational partnership. By making this investment, Alyeska is helping to provide opportunities for Alaskans to stay at home and help solve Alaska’s engineering needs.