Workforce: Alaska

In 2006, a good education is no longer just a way for an individual to get ahead. It is also, and increasingly, the best way a state can get ahead-and therefore a real economic priority. A college degree confers specific, calculable benefits on a state's citizens: the average lifetime income of an individual with a bachelor's degree is $2.1 million, compared to $1.2 million for those with just a high school diploma. But the benefits realized by the state are just as impressive as those that an individual sees. Not only does a state with a well-educated populace see increased tax revenues from its (better-paid) citizens, it is also able to use the education level of its citizens as a powerful lure for business and industry-a way to build its economy overall. In Alaska, the demand for well-educated employees will only increase over the next several years. In 2012, professional occupations will account for the largest share of the state's employment and the second largest number of new jobs, according to the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development. The increase in this sector is good news for Alaska's citizens, since the median wage for professional jobs is 25 percent higher than for all other occupations. Entry into these jobs comes with a price tag: at least half of these new positions will require a bachelor's degree or higher. Over the decade leading up to 2012, the need for health care professionals will continue to rise in Alaska. The demand for registered nurses will see a 33 percent increase-another 1,600-plus new positions will be created in the state. The Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) has had workforce issues at the top of its agenda since its creation in the 1950s. In fact, WICHE was launched specifically to address the shortage of workforce-training opportunities in medicine, dentistry, and other professional fields. Today, WICHE offers a slew of undergraduate, graduate, and professional options that help the West's states educate and train their citizens, building their economies in the process. (Contains 2 tables.)