Alexander Weyiouanna from Shishmaref realized that in Alaska, he has a lot of opportunities to move in the direction he wants his life to go. He decided he wanted a better job, and started searching online for opportunities in the trades. That’s when he found AVTEC.
“I wasn’t sure what exactly I wanted to do, but I was interested in construction and plumbing,” Alexander said in an interview. Since the plumbing class was full at the time of his search, he went with construction technology. “I have an open mind and am keeping doors open. If I can’t find anything in construction, I can take the plumbing class next time.”
Alexander was accepted into the 5 month Construction Technology class and then navigated how to get there through assistance from his high school career counselor – who was still interested in supporting him about a decade later! He was lead to the My-Cache website for scholarships, and Kawerak’s Vocational Training program paid for his course with no hesitation.
The course worked well for Alexander. He met new people and was able to work hands-on with a team after the first month of bookwork. The class dove into using hand and power tools, electrical, plumbing, concrete, foundation, walls trusses and roof coverings. “They started at the basics and worked their way up” Alexander said. “Safety was also a focus to ensure we were operating in a safe environment.” Alexander mentioned each of the 8 class members even conducted their own safety meeting.
When asked about his future goals, Alexander stated he was currently looking for work in the construction field and was hoping to build a boat this summer and start on a house for his family next year. When asked if he felt the class prepared him he said, “I learned a lot from the class. I think it will help me get an idea of what I need to do, including the tools and materials I need.”
In the interview, Alexander was asked why he took the course and how he managed to get through it. “I was motivated to take this course, because I wanted to get a better job for myself, my girlfriend Mamie Iyatunguk and my son Jaysen Iyatunguk. I feel like I can do that now with my certificate. I’m grateful for my girlfriend Mamie, she was working full time and watched Jason so I could go to Seward and do training.”
Going forward Alexander is planning to stay open minded and keep doors open, maybe even take more classes down the road like plumbing if it is an option.
“I would like to encourage the young people to take advantage of the opportunities that our state has to offer. Theres a lot of stuff out there that we have available for them to move forward in the right direction.”
Congratulations Alexander! We are very proud of you and excited for your new skills!
If you would like to receive training support, please check us out at kawerak.org/training. We look forward to helping you reach your goals!
