Partners: Funded by the Denali Commission and in partnership with Bristol Bay Native Corporation.
Background: The Bristol Bay region is building out new broadband infrastructure, with many stakeholders working together for regional development. This creates an environment for adopting broadband to promote quality of life and economic development. An Implementation Plan is needed to de-risk adoption that public and private entities can implement.
Problem and Need: The deployment of new communications infrastructure supplies a fantastic opportunity for improved quality of life and economic development; however, adopting best practices needs to be learned. The local economy cannot wait for natural adoption, as early adopters may face added costs and risks. Adoption best practices need to be facilitated, trained, and in some cases, such as placement of virtual employees, prototyped, where the findings from those efforts will inform adoption with the greatest possible impact on the regional economy. Currently, the Bristol Bay region needs to assess training needs to increase local hire for the buildout of the new broadband infrastructure and identify training needs to prepare the local workforce for job opportunities once broadband is installed.
Purpose: Develop an Implementation Plan for broadband and virtual jobs adoption as a development strategy for Bristol Bay.
Section of the Implementation Plan:
Global Virtual Jobs Assessment: A Literature Review: Reviewing job boards, high demand skill sets/remote ready positions: assessing all possible jobs viable for remote work, the type of work, how work is accomplished, salary, level of commitment or flexibility.
Click Here to review the Global Virtual Jobs Assessment
Regional Remote Work Opportunity: Assessment of all “large” employers in the Bristol Bay region and all the positions available that could possibly be carried out remotely or flexible remote.
Click here to Review the Bristol Bay Remote Work Opportunity Assessment
Workforce Development Needs: Assessment of training needs required in the Bristol Bay region to grow the local stock of remote worker for global and regionally based remote work opportunities. Working with local higher- education facilities (UAF-Bristol Bay Campus and Southwest Alaska Vocational and Technical Education Center) on who delivers those services, how they will be delivered to the current population before the deployment of broadband, with a final goal of defining quantifiable training opportunities in sectors identified in the Global Virtual Jobs Assessment and the Regional Remote Work Opportunity.
Click here to review the Workforce Development Needs Assessment
Community Needs Assessment Case Study (subregions): Deep assessment of three specific communities at the Bristol Bay subregion level to assess what communities will need to expand the stock of remote workers, serving a global workforce, including accommodations for the rural subsistence lifestyle. BBNA staff will travel to the three communities to conduct in person interviews and assessments with local populations. Click here to review the Community Case Studies Report
Click here to review the Community Case Studies Report
SALMONet Job Opportunity Evaluation: SALMONet is a broadband instillation project in Bristol Bay. Contractor will conduct background research on the SALMONet project for the purpose of preparing local workforce for SALMONet instillation job opportunities with types of training needed to obtain jobs on the SALMONet project.
Click here to review the SALMONet Job Opportunity Evaluation
Implementation Plan: Develop consolidated report with implementation steps for transitioning, training, and growing remote work in the Bristol Bay region.
Click here to view 2023 Implementation Plan for Telework Opportunities in Bristol Bay