Construction Begins on Student Housing Project in Klawock to Boost Local Workforce
Tribal leaders and community partners commemorate the first day of construction of the new short-term housing complex at the Generations Southeast Prince of Wales campus in Klawock.
(Sydney Dauphinais/KRBD)
On a cloudy day late last month, around 100 people crowded around a pile of dirt outside the Generations Southeast Prince of Wales campus, a comprehensive community learning center in Klawock. They gathered to celebrate the groundbreaking for construction of a new housing complex for students enrolled in workforce training classes.
“It’s critically important that we recognize that education and educational opportunities don’t look the same to everybody.” Richard Peterson, President of the Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska, said to the crowd. Standing with tribal leaders and state lawmakers, he marked the occasion by digging a shovel in the dirt.
The building will be a roughly 230-foot long dorm-style project with 18 dorm units, two apartments for traveling instructors, and one apartment for the director. The design aims to resemble a traditional longhouse.
Generations Southeast is a regional community training center owned and operated by Tlingit and Haida, with campuses in Juneau and Klawock. They offer vocational training courses in welding, carpentry, and certification classes to teach early childhood education. The construction project runs alongside the expansion of vocational opportunities, including Indigenous trades, like traditional vest making and machine sewing sea otter fur.
“I think that can’t be understated enough. How many artisans we have in our villages who have real skill, real knowledge that deserves to be recognized, just like any other trade.” Peterson added.
The training center is administered by the regional tribe but open to the public statewide. Chas Edwardson, director of the Prince of Wales campus, noted the clear need for such workforce housing. Classes are in high demand and fill up quickly, attracting students from all over Southeast. Some commute from villages on the other side of the island, while others travel from places like Angoon or Metlakatla. Usually, they end up sleeping in churches or the Klawock High School gym.
“Our goal is to keep people here or bring them back. There’s just too many people leaving our communities, and then we import workers to do the work that’s there.” Edwardson said.