 News Highlights & InformationThe AVTEC news information on this page are fragments of our monthly E-Newsletter and weekly AVTEC Student Newsletter. To visit these periodicals, click on the following. The items found below are excerpts from the above newsletters and other important information maintained on this page for longevity purposes. Village Internet Agent ProgramAugust 5, 2011Alaska traditionally has been underserved when it comes to Internet access. Especially in the remote rural areas, many small communities have no broadband or even local dial-up service, and the vast majority of those with Internet connections receive a signal too slow for transmission of media-rich content. However, Alaska’s telecommunications companies are working with the federal government to expand broadband access statewide, bringing new connectivity and opportunities to rural residents. In fall 2010, The University of Alaska’s Office of Information Technology and 21 partners, including AVTEC, received a $4.5 million grant to implement “Bridging the e-Skills Gap,” a project funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act under the federal Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP). The grant will subsidize training in computer skills and broadband awareness for residents in remote villages across the state, and AVTEC’s role involves recruiting and training technicians to maintain personal computers and networks in the communities scheduled for broadband service. For the grant-funded training, AVTEC will adapt its existing Information Technology (IT) program to train Village Internet Agents (VIA) through a four-month course of study in Seward, offered twice a year beginning fall semester 2011. Courses will cover Fundamental PC Technologies, Advanced PC Support, Networking for Home and Small Business, and Working at a Small-to-Medium-Sized Business or Internet Service Provider (ISP). After achieving VIA certification, graduates will have the option to earn AVTEC PC/Network Technician certifications by completing required additional courses. Students may also elect to continue their education by pursuing associate degrees from UAA or UAF, since VIA courses count toward AAS degrees. The school’s recently hired VIA Program Instructor, Allen Sagoonick, graduated from AVTEC in 2000 with PC Support Technician and Network Support Technician certifications. He was hired by Kawerak Corporation as an IT Technician responsible for villages from Stebbins to Shishmaref, including Diomede, Gambell and Savoonga. Allen helped build networks and learning centers in each village, and connected users to various ISPs such as GCI, Starband and AT&T. He also did contract work installing networks, security cameras, PC support, and point-of-sale systems for cities, corporations and other village-based entities. AVTEC Rocks!October 18, 2010AVTEC's newest video advertisement is now available online. Three-minutes in length and titled "AVTEC Rocks!", the ad was filmed entirely on AVTEC campuses starring students and instructors from the 2010 school year. Short versions of this ad will be aired on local television stations. The videos featured on this page are being hosted at SchoolTube.com. If you have difficulty viewing them from this page, you can also find them on our new AVTEC channel at YouTube.com. Below are the 30 second clips to be aired on local television. Wind Power Training Coming Soon!August 18, 2010
Essential elements of wind power will be integrated into existing AVTEC programs such Power Plant Operator and the Industrial Electrical program. The new Wind Power Technician program will teach operation, integration, safety and maintenance for wind systems in Alaska. This stand alone course is expected to be offered as early as spring of 2011. To learn more about this new program, contact AVTEC’s Applied Technology Department Chair, Kent Berklund, at 907-224-6120 |
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AVTEC in cooperation with the Denali Commission, the Alaska Energy Authority, and the Alaska Department of Labor & Workforce Development is developing wind energy operator and technician training in Seward. AVTEC has already purchased a 132’ Northwind 100 wind turbine that is expected to be installed in Seward by December of this year. The wind turbine will be placed adjacent to AVTEC’s existing diesel generator power plant and will be fully integrated with new state of the art switch gear installed by the Alaska Energy Authority earlier in the year. AVTEC is currently working with a Wind Training Advisory Committee to identify competencies to be included in the wind training and to hire a wind power instructor who will develop the curriculum and deliver the training to support Alaska communities that have or are expecting to install wind turbines.
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