C SISTEMA DE GESTIÓN DE RIESGO EN LA ACTIVIDAD PETROLERA

The previous chapter portrayed a brief background of Springfield’s economic and educational environment. This background information will form the foundation for this findings chapter based on data collected for the 2015-2016 school year.

Local Economy

Economic data for the 2015-2016 school year indicated the type of jobs that were available to Springfield residents, employer expectations of prospective employees, and reasons why employers hesitate to hire local residents.

Finding: Employee and Employer Demographics

Quantitative. Most employers (55%, n=32 out of 58 total respondents) employed from

one to 10 employees full-time and 19% (n=11) did not hire any full-time employees. Many employed (46%, n=26 out of 57 total respondents) either zero part-time employees or one to 10 part-time employees (46%, n=26 out of 57 total respondents). Many employers (43%, n=25 out of 58 total respondents) employed one to 10 employees during the tourist season and 29% (n=17) did not hire any employees during the tourist season. Many employers (45%, n=26 out of 58 total respondents) employed one to 10 employees during the off season and 29% (n=17) did not employ employees during the off season. Out of 52 employers who responded, the majority (67%, n= 35) stated that a high school diploma/GED program completion was the minimum acceptable level of education that they required of their employees, and a majority (68%, n=36 out of 53 total respondents) stated that they did not have a maximum acceptable level of education.

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Most employers (54%, n=27 out of 50 total respondents) were female. The majority of employers (78%, n=39 out of 50 total respondents) considered themselves White/Caucasian. Only 6% (n=3) considered themselves American Indian/Alaska Native, and only 2% (n=1 out of 50 total respondents) considered themselves to be enrolled SC members. Less than half of employers (40%, n=20 out of 50 total respondents) sold Springfield-made products, and less than half of employers (42%, n=21 out of 50 total respondents) sold Alaska-made products. The survey results indicate that the majority of employers surveyed were small business owners.

Qualitative. The interview data indicated that the types of jobs available in Springfield seemed to be more blue-collar and seasonal work. When employers were surveyed in open- ended questions regarding their employment practices, the following results were found: Out of the 59 employers surveyed and 35 employers interviewed, employment opportunities in

Springfield were (in no particular order) found in these 19 industries: public education, public library, restaurants/hospitality, fishing and seafood, retail, transportation/travel, unions, non- profits, recreation, medical, banking, government, grocery, professional services such as attorney offices, insurance sales, mining, tourism, beauty, and art. The jobs listed above are primarily blue-collar service industry jobs. The survey and interview data indicate that job availability in Springfield may limit the types of jobs that local residents may expect to find.

Finding: Employer Expectations and Workforce Challenges

Quantitative. Only 37% of employers (n=19 out of 52 total respondents) agreed that it

was easy to employ the local population at their workplace; 43% (n=22) disagreed and 19% (n=10) neither agreed nor disagreed. When educators were asked, “[Springfield] and the

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to Springfield and the surrounding areas after they graduate from their degree programs and/or job training programs,” a majority (77%, n=41 out of 53 total respondents) agreed.

Out of the employers surveyed (n=49 total respondents), many (39%, n=19) stated that their employees attained their training and/or degrees in Springfield. Some (29%, n=14) said that their employees completed their training and/or degrees outside of Alaska, and some (22%, n=11) of employers surveyed did not know where their employees were trained or where they obtained their degrees. The data indicate that both economic opportunity and workforce skills need to be improved for the benefit of local residents. The data also indicate that employers surveyed would likely hire employees who are Springfield residents and/or educated and/or trained in Springfield if they possess the required skills.

Qualitative. Several employers listed common traits that they look for in a prospective employee. These traits included but were not limited to the following 11 traits in no particular order: work history, honesty, accountability, degrees earned, trainability, punctuality,

communication, respect, attitude, appropriate work dress, and work ethic/willingness to work and learn on the job.

However, employers noted several challenges that impeded them hiring from some of the local population. Participants concerns included a lack of work ethic, as illustrated by an

employer who said: “They don’t really want to work. They don’t really, they just rather do whatever they’re doing when they’re not working than to work.” Others mentioned a lack of basic work and life skills, as illustrated by one employer:

When we’re hiring for, um, retail, we’re looking for, um, customer-service…and you know we’d like them to show up dressed appropriately, not in their pajamas and slippers- that has [happened] a time or two and that’s appalling.

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Others noted that disincentives to work, such as entitlements, prevented long-term employment. One employer stated:

We, we've- I've had at least six employees thank me for letting them go, because they know for the next six months they'll make the same money, cause…They'll get assistance [from SC] on paying the rent, they'll get assistance on paying groceries, they'll get

assistance on the electric bill. You know, it's not a check, but to them, paying their mortgage is the same thing as giving them cash…

Drug and alcohol use was also a reported issue. For example, one employer stated the following: There, there seems to be a fair amount of alcohol problems here…so that can be a barrier for some workers....sometimes they think alcohol is more important. …Showing up drunk…Beer is more important than work for some folks.

Finally, one educator and one employer believed that local employees did not possess basic education and professionalism skills, saying: “You need to understand how to do math, to count money back or something like that.” The data suggested that students and local adult residents may need to strengthen their work skills and professionalism in order to meet the needs of the current local economy.

Most employers stated that they made on-the-job training available for employees and/or recommended training for employees and/or students. This suggests that more students and residents could be employed locally if appropriately educated and/or trained. Employers may wish to know where their employees were educated and/or trained. Such knowledge could allow employers to work effectively with local education and/or training agencies to provide their employees with appropriate preparation. Some employers may also wish to train their own employees and/or seek employees that are trainable. Typically, such training fine-tunes skillsets and builds proficiency for a particular job or task.

112 Finding: High School Student Goals

Quantitative. Out of 125 high school students surveyed, most agreed (63%, n=78) that

their school prepared them for their job goals; 18% (n=23) neither disagreed nor agreed, and 16% (n=20) disagreed. A majority (67%, n=84 out of 125 total respondents) of high school students believed that they would have the skills they need to get the job they wanted after graduation. Most agreed (59%, n=73 out of 124 total respondents) that Springfield and the surrounding areas have jobs that interested them; 27% (n=33) neither disagreed nor agreed, and 12% (n=15) disagreed. Many students (49%, n=61 out of 125 total respondents) agreed that Springfield and the surrounding areas provide access to job opportunities that interested them after graduation; 22% (n=27) disagreed, and 26% (n=33) neither disagreed nor agreed. About half of students (50%, n=62 out of 125 total respondents) planned to live inSpringfield or the surrounding areas after they finished their education and/or job training program; 28% (n=35) selected that they planned to live in Springfield or the surrounding areas part of the year, and 22% (n=27) selected that they planned to live in Springfield and the surrounding areas all year. Similarly, about half of students plan to work in Springfield either all year (17%, n=21 out of 125 total respondents) or part of the year (33%, n=41 of 125 respondents), whereas about half (50%, n=63 out of 125 total respondents) did not plan to work in Springfield or the surrounding areas after they finished their education and/or job training program.

Out of 125 students surveyed, a majority (86%, n=108) wanted to go to college. Out of 104 students who responded, most (63%, n=65) wanted to attend college outside of Alaska; 16% (n=17) wanted to attend college in Alaska, but not in Springfield, 14% (n=14) were unsure whether they wanted to go college, 4% (n=4) did not want to go to college, and 4% (n=4) wanted to attend college in Springfield. When students were asked if they planned to attend a job

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training program, many (34%, n=42 out of 124 total respondents) wanted to attend a job training program. However, the largest group of survey respondents were unsure (47%, n=58) whether they wanted to attend a job training program. When asked the question, “If you plan to attend a job training program, where do you plan to attend?” many students (40%, n=47 out of 119 total respondents) of students were unsure, 28% (n=33) of students selected outside of Alaska, 17% (n=20) stated that they did not plan to attend a job training program, 11% (n=13) stated that they plan to attend a job training program in Springfield, and 5% (n=6) stated that they plan to attend a job training program in Alaska, but not in Springfield. The data indicate that most students who wanted to attend higher education and many who wanted to attend a job training program would prefer to leave Springfield to receive their education and/or training.

Qualitative. When asked where students saw themselves five years and 10 years in the

future, student responses may be summarized by the following: They would like to be self- sufficient, financially stable, earn degrees, and start a family. Among those students who reported job goals, there were a remarkable diversity of responses. The following represents the variety of goals expressed by the students: nurse, psychologist, teacher, mathematician,

firefighter, accountant, engineer, business operator, medical designer, journalist, military service, actor, librarian, video game designer, musician, artist, doctor, veterinarian, anthropologist, cosmetologist, boat captain/maritime/marine work, construction, welding, sports, law

enforcement, photographer, mechanic, airplane pilot, aviation engineer, biologist, architecture, computer engineer, lawyer, marketing, chef, retail, grocer, dance instructor, and banker.

When asked in focus group interviews, several students wanted to live and work in Springfield to take advantage of economic and outdoor enthusiast opportunities. For example, two students responded as follows:

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Respondent 2: Compared to other places, you’re probably gonna make three to four times as much as you would other places. So I think the money alone will just attract people back. I mean, but some people, because I’ve seen what life is like [outside] of

[Springfield], and I think when some people experience what life is like [outside] of [Springfield], they would never want to come back. I grew up here when I was younger but I moved in middle school and I came back and I’ve only been here eight months and I’m already going crazy from being stuck on an island….

Respondent 1: Like you said, a plumber here would make a lot more money than a plumber in, like, San Francisco or New York just because you can get a bunch of overtime. My dad, he’s also a plumber, and what he does is he’ll go to a bunch of the little islands every other month or something like that and he gets paid double pay when he does that so he’s just making bank from going to the little islands that don’t have plumbers (Students).

However, some students commented that they wanted to seek college and career opportunities outside of Springfield for reasons other than education and employment. Such reasons include a larger population, a lower cost of living, better weather and/or better travel transportation. For example, several students stated:

Interviewer: But you wouldn’t consider living here, returning back?

Respondent 1: No, I need to be in a big city or…Somewhere out away from a city but where I can drive from places.…

Respondent 3: If they had an Art Institute here, I would stay … Respondent 5: After I graduate, I want to try and join the Marines…

From data in the “Context” chapter, it appears that non-resident/foreign-owned

companies often do not employ local residents. These hiring practices may have a direct impact on job accessibility. Furthermore, when asked about vocational training options in Springfield, participants from all groups mentioned that students needed more vocational training options and programs that would help students with life and work skills after they graduated. Such programs may encourage students to stay in Springfield instead of seeking vocational training options elsewhere.

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Cost of living, employer input, employer hiring practices, quality of life and job availability suggest that the schools should cater more to student job goals and that schools should provide more opportunities to learn work and life skills. According to educators, native students were less prepared to enter the workforce than non-native students after their high school education. More college and career preparation support should be provided for native students. However, some educators mentioned that they did not know which students were native.

Springfield Schools

The Springfield School District has a relatively long history. The first school, a

Presbyterian mission school for the American Indian/Alaska Native population, opened its doors in 1895. Since then, many schools, both segregated American Indian/Alaska Native and White schools and fully integrated schools, opened and closed throughout the area. A history of these schools was described in the previous chapter. In this section, I will briefly outline the current school system.

Finding: 2015-2016 School Demographics

Quantitative. The 2015-2016 school demographics for the Springfield School District

were publicly published online ([Springfield School District], 2016; [Springfield High School], 2016; [Springfield Alternative School], 2016).27 The reported demographics are detailed below.

2015-2016 reported school demographics. In 2015-2016, Springfield School District listed eleven campuses within its district – five elementary schools, two middle schools, two high schools, and two other schools. Two were listed as high schools – specifically, Springfield High School and Springfield Alternative School. Springfield also has an online high school option

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called Fast Track. Within the district, 96 teachers held Bachelor’s degrees, 74 held Master’s degrees, and two held Doctorate degrees. Overall, the school district had a 93% school attendance rate. Of all students who attended Springfield schools, approximately 50% were considered Caucasian and approximately 30% were considered Alaskan Native/American Indian. Overall, high school programs had a 78% average four-year graduation rate: 93% at Springfield High School; 53% at Springfield Alternative School; and 21% at Fast Track, a virtual school with a very small student body. Ten percent of students were in special education, 4% of students were considered English language learners and 42% were considered low income. Within the whole school district, there was an overall 3.2% student dropout rate ([Springfield School District], 2016).28

Springfield High School enrolled 616 students comprising Grades 9 through 12. It is not listed as a Title I school and had an overall attendance rate of 93%. Twenty-six teachers held Bachelor’s degrees, 22 held Master’s degrees, and none held Doctorate degrees. Fifty-two percent of students were Caucasian, 26% were American Indian/Alaska Native, and 12% were Asian. Ten percent were special education students, 2% were considered English language learners, and 27% were considered economically disadvantaged. Roughly 1% of students dropped out of Springfield High School. Ninety-three percent of American Indians/Alaska Natives, 96% of Asian/Pacific Islanders, 93% of Caucasians, 100% of multi-ethnic students, 93% of economically disadvantaged, 64% of students with disabilities and 75% of students with limited English proficiency graduated four years after they started high school. No additional

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data for African American and Hispanic students were available for the four-year graduation statistics reported ([Springfield High School], 2016).29

Springfield Alternative School enrolled 107 students and was considered to be a Title I school. The student body comprised Grades 7 through 12. Eight teachers held Bachelor’s Degrees, two held Master’s Degrees, and none held Doctorate degrees. Forty-six percent were considered Caucasian and 44% were considered American Indian/Alaska Native. Forty-six percent were considered economically disadvantaged, 15% were considered special needs students, and 0% were considered English language learners. Roughly 13% of students dropped out of Springfield Alternative School. Fifty-five percent of Alaska Native/American Indians, 52% of Caucasians, 100% of Hispanic students, 100% of multi-ethnic students, 48% of economically disadvantaged, and 50% of students with disabilities graduated four years after they started high school. No additional data for African American and Asian/Pacific Islander students and for students with limited English proficiency were available for the four-year graduation statistics reported ([Springfield Alternative School], 2016).30

2015-2016 survey results. The Springfield student and educator survey results from the dissertation study are reported below.

Student samples. Out of 125 students who responded, the majority of students (91%; n=114) attended Springfield High School. Most of the students (53%, n=66 out of 125 total respondents) were high school seniors; 20% (n=25) were sophomores, 15% (n=19) were juniors, and 12% (n=15) were freshmen. Roughly half of the students (47%, n=59 out of 125 total respondents) considered themselves female; roughly half (46%, n=57) considered themselves

29 _{To protect the anonymity of project stakeholders, this source was redacted.} 30 _{To protect the anonymity of project stakeholders, this source was redacted.}

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male. Many high school students (45%, n=56 out of 124 total respondents) considered themselves White/Caucasian; 12% (n=15) considered themselves American Indian/Alaska Native, 12% (n=15) considered themselves Asian, and 20% (n=25) considered themselves “other.” When students who selected “other” were asked to describe their selection, most students stated that they were of mixed heritage and most considered themselves American Indian/Alaska Native and another ethnicity. Thirty-three students out of 123 students (27%) stated that they were SC enrolled members.

Student Results. A majorityof high school students surveyed (70%, n=88 out of 126 total respondents) had a job. Forty-five percent (n=57) held a seasonal job, (18%, n=22) held a part- time job, and 2% (n=3) held a full-time job. Some students also stated that they had both a full- time job and a part-time job or a seasonal job. A majority of high school students (55%, n=69 out of 126 total respondents) stated that there were two or more adults in their household; 33% (n=41) stated that there were more than three adults in their household and 13% (n=16) stated that there was only one adult in their household. A majority of students (67%, n=84 out of 125 total respondents) had one or more adults in their households that went to college. When asked, “Do any of the adults in your household have a job?” 73% of students (n=92 out of 126 total respondents) stated that two or more adults in their household held a job and 25% (n=32) stated that one adult held a job. The results indicate that some students may fiscally help support their families’ overall income and welfare.

Educator samples. Of those who were surveyed (n=57 total respondents), educators stated that they taught and/or worked with a variety of grade levels including pre-kindergarten and high school grades, and educators taught a variety of subjects, including music and math. Out of 48 educators who responded, only three (6%) stated that they were SC members, and out

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of 48 educators who responded, only two (4%) considered themselves as American Indian/Alaska Native. A majority of educators (79%, n=38 out of 48 total respondents) considered themselves White/Caucasian. Most educators (63%, n=30 out of 48 total

respondents) were female, some (31%, n=15) were male, and most (63%, n=30 out of 48 total respondents) had a graduate degree.

Educator results. A majority (90%, n=45 out of 50 total respondents) of educators agreed that they felt that they were well trained to teach the overall student body of their school.