Rural Alaska Community Environmental Job Training (‘RaceJT’)
Applications Available Online Here,
October 9, 2023
Are you interested in finding meaningful environmental work within your community or region? RACEJT is an Environmental Technician job training program that can give you a hiring boost — through earning the technical certifications and job readiness skills that employers want. And… it’s FREE, including airfare, lodging, and food.
RACEJT students learn and follow industry standards while in training. As graduates, they take back to their communities their gained professional knowledge, job ethics, and safety practices.
For more information or questions, contact April McCoy, amccoy@zendergroup.org
Who is RACEJT for?
If you answer yes to any of the below questions, then RACEJT might be the training for you!
- Do you like working outside or are you interested in finding environmentally related work that is available in your community or region?
- Are you employed but working less than 20 hours per week, or working two or more part-time jobs to pay the bills?
- Are you an employer seeking employees to fill your workplan projects?
- Have you identified these employees yet?
- Or do you already have employees who meet these criteria?
Individuals: Rural Alaska residents living in non-hub communities, unemployed or under-employed, wanting to remain within their home community or region. Must be 18 years old with a high school diploma or GED. For a full list of qualifying criteria, see Eligibility Criteria
Employers: RACEJT can train staff for upcoming work projects. RACEJT is designed for rural Alaska employers with local hire goals.
What is RACEJT?
RACEJT is not just all the certifications gained, it is an education. Graduates leave with an understanding of common hazards found in rural Alaska communities, how to address them, who can help, and the confidence to present issues and solutions to community leadership.
RACEJT includes 260 intensive hours of classes, 15 + certifications, 10 University of Alaska, Fairbanks (UAF) college credits, and a UAF Occupational Endorsement in Rural Waste Management and Spill Response. See the full list of Certifications Offered
When is RACEJT and What is the Format?
RACEJT takes place in the Spring each year with two required Anchorage- based sessions of 10 to 15 days each. Students are flown home between sessions to take care of responsibilities. Some virtual classwork is also assigned during that time.
How Do I Apply?
To apply, applicants fill out the online form here, and find two people who know you are a good fit for RACEJT. They will need to fill out the online reference form. We will contact applicants to schedule for a short phone interview after these forms are submitted.
RACEJT 2024 Tentative Dates
Session 1: March 18 – March 29, 2024
Spring Break (at home): March 30 – April 12
Partial-Day Virtual Classes (at home): April 4, 5, 8-10
Session 2: April 12 – 23
RACEJT works…
How do we know this? Because each year we ask rural employers with local hire goals what their needs are. We form our program classes and job skills experience around those needs.
RACEJT by the Numbers
Since its first training in 2012, RACEJT has an 84% retention rate
With a
98% job placement rate
For the
152 Environmental Technicians Graduated
Who represent
76 Communities from 10 ANCSA regions
Statewide
RACEJT,
Increasing rural local hire and community health protection by placing a skilled and educated environmental technician in every rural Alaska community.