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Basic Education: GED & High School Diploma

For students who do not already have a high school diploma, GED preparation classes and High School course work is offered. For students who enter the GED program, classes are offered that improve student's critical thinking and problem solving skills necessary to obtain their GED.

For students who qualify for the High School program, coursework is offered thru the Matanuska-Susitna School District.

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Vocational Training

Obtaining job skills opens the door to long-term employment. You choose the program that interests you. Under the direction of a skilled instructor, you begin by learning the basics of your chosen career. As your skills improve, you will tackle more advanced projects. In Job Corps you learn by doing in a hands on environment.

Driver's Education is available to all students needing their Alaska Driver's License. The class combines behind-the-wheel driving time, class time and the National Safety Council's defensive driving course, Alive At 25. Individual student's permits and licensing fees are paid for by AKJCC. Arrangements for students to take the written and road examinations are also taken care of by the center.

Other Training Opportunities

The Alaska Job Corps Center offers a college program where students can enroll in Advanced Career Training (ACT) and attend the Matanuska-Susitna College in Palmer. A student can also receive advanced training through the Off Center Training (OCT) programs, such as Phlebotomy, or Medical Assistant. The OCT program is available for any student who wishes to learn a vocation which is not offered on center.

Residential Program

The residential program is a big part of the Job Corps program. Residential living contributes to the personal and social development of students. It fosters an atmosphere that exerts influence on character and personality that is often the key factor in helping students to make a successful transition to the demands of the outside/employment world. The residential program provides continuous adult supervision, 24 hours a day. The critical function of the residential program is to provide an atmosphere in which students feel safe and secure at all times.

Though the residential living aspect of the program occurs outside the hours when education and vocational training occurs, there is in fact a great deal of training and instruction, both structured and unstructured, provided by the residential living program. The residential living program has a great impact on many areas of students' lives by promoting positive relationships among racial/ethnic groups, motivating alienated or discouraged youth, enhancing students' adaptation to unfamiliar group living situations, fostering changes in counterproductive attitudes and habits, and encourage positive peer group and interpersonal interactions.

Parent and Family Program

One of the unique aspects of our center is the family development program. This program allows parents and children to benefit from the Job Corps program. The two main components of the family development program are the Child and Family Development Center (CFDC) and the Family Dorm.

The CFDC is an onsite child care facility that provides quality child care services while parents are in training. The CFDC is operated by Chugiak Children's Services and maintains a current license with the state of Alaska. The Child and Family Development Center is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). We can care for up to 30 children between the ages of 6 weeks and 5 years in the infant, toddler and preschool classrooms. Our goal is to help children grow and develop in a safe and stimulating environment. We do this by working with parents to set individual and developmentally appropriate goals for each child, and then providing the opportunity for children to learn and acquire these new skills.

In addition the standard eligibility requirements and application process, applicants with children must complete a separate application on their child’s behalf for the Child & Family Development Center. Your Admissions Counselor will give you this paperwork with the Part II Section of your Job Corps application. The Child & Family Development Center is not a free program like the Job Corps program. Parents are required to be eligible for the state of Alaska Child Care Assistance program (PASS I, PASS II, or PASS III), parents are required to participate in the Job Corps Allotment program, and each parent will have their own contribution towards child care. Your Admissions Counselor will provide more details about the child care costs. There are specific discipline policies that parents must abide by while at the Alaska Job Corps Center. Parents must also attend regularly scheduled Parenting Classes. These classes are provided to help parents learn to balance the many demands of working and raising a family.

The Family Dormitory has 24 rooms. Each room can house a single parent or married couple with up to two children. The rooms all have individual bathrooms and there is a kitchen and lounge down the hall available for all to use. Parents help each other by providing child care, parenting ideas, encouragement, and support while they are in the program.

Student Food Service Program

Nutritious and well-balanced meals are prepared at the center and provided for all students in the center's cafeteria. Due to the center's multi-cultural student body, careful attention is given to providing a wide variety of foods. Special meals are frequently planned and presented in conjunction with the center-wide celebration of cultural holidays and events. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served Monday through Friday. Brunch and dinner are served on weekends and holidays.

Basic Health Care

The Alaska Job Corps Center Health Services Department is staffed by health professionals in the medical, dental and mental health areas. Each new student will receive a physical examination, including HIV and drug testing, immunization updates and a dental examination. Basic health care services are provided for students on a walk-in basis before class and during lunch hours. Appointments with the physician, nurse practitioner, dentist or mental health consultant are scheduled by the nurse.

Information and support groups are provided to students with a history of drug and/or alcohol issues. Outside resources may also be utilized to help the student maintain a clean and sober lifestyle while at Job Corps, as well as to assist the student in making good lifestyle choices in the home and workplace.


Recreation Center

The Recreation Department at the Alaska Job Corps Center is an active facility, not only during the day, but also during student leisure hours, evenings, and weekends. Throughout the training day, students participate in Health and Wellness classes, which may include playing team sports such as basketball, volleyball, and floor hockey, or individual activities such as using the climbing wall, weight training, cardio training, arts-and-crafts, taking walks/hikes, or playing team-building initiative games.

The Recreation Department offers a variety of options for participation in and development of lifelong leisure time skills. Examples include: basketball, softball, volleyball, and Native Youth Olympics. Both women's and men's basketball teams actively host tournaments and participate in tournaments both locally and throughout Alaska. Intramural co-ed activities include basketball, softball, floor hockey, volleyball, and flag football.

Seasonal and non-competitive sports activities for students include, but are not limited to skiing, snowshoeing, sledding, camping, photography, gold panning, fishing, horseback riding, in-line skating, canoeing, and biking. There is a wilderness program that allows students to participate in leadership and outdoor trips that can last several days, often in remote areas, parks and wilderness areas.

The Arts-and-Crafts room is a busy area with quilting, painting, fiber arts, wood burning, pottery, beading, sewing, model crafting, and many other activities. It offers opportunities for students to pursue artistic endeavors, some of which have been displayed in Washington, DC.

There is a billiards room with a foosball table, ping-pong table, and pool tables. Here, students may relax with their friends, play board games, and enjoy snacks from the various vending machines. The Recreation Department has weekend and evening activities that include movies, bowling, shopping, hiking, biking, professional hockey games or other activities around center or in the Matanuska Valley or Anchorage areas.