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Administrative Order No. 278

I, Bill Walker, Governor of the State of Alaska, under the authority of Article III, Sections 1 and 24 of the Constitution of the State of Alaska, revoke Administrative Order 226 and make the following findings and order concerning apprenticeship utilization for construction projects financed by the State of Alaska:

Findings and Purpose

Well-trained construction workers are critical to the efficient and economical completion of construction projects. The State regularly provides funding and is a party to contracts for construction projects. Studies of the state’s workforce by the Department of Labor and Workforce Development have identified the need to increase the supply of skilled construction workers available in the state. In order to develop and maintain a skilled workforce for construction projects, the State government needs to increase its efforts to ensure the supply of trained construction workers for the future.

Traditionally, apprenticeship programs have been an effective way to provide on-the-job training experience for the construction trades. Individuals enrolled in apprentice programs gain the training and experience necessary to advance in the construction trades. Therefore, I find that increasing the opportunities for on-the-job training through monitoring the use of apprentice workers on State-financed construction projects will work to improve the future pool of workers available for State-financed construction projects.

Administrative Order 226, which required reporting of apprentice hours for heavy and highway construction projects, was a first step to building our pool of skilled construction workers through use of apprentice workers. It is now time to expand our efforts to encourage use of apprentice workers on more State construction projects; therefore I am revoking Administrative Order 226 and replacing it with this Order.

Order

Under the authority of Article III, Sections 1 and 24, of the Constitution of the State of Alaska, I hereby order the following:

  1. This Order applies to each construction contract advertised for bids by the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities or the Department of Administration on or after November 10, 2015, that at the time of contract award, has a contract award amount of $2,500,000 or more.
  2. For each construction contract that meets the qualifications of paragraph 1 of this Order, unless it would jeopardize federal funding, the Commissioner of the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities or the Commissioner of the Department of Administration, as applicable, shall strive to require that not less than 15 percent labor hours on a project are performed by apprentices in the following United States Department of Labor Standard Occupational Classification Systems job titles:
    • Boilermakers
    • Bricklayers
    • Carpenters
    • Cement Masons
    • Culinary Workers
    • Electricians
    • Equipment Operators
    • Elevator Constructors & Mechanics
    • Insulation Workers
    • Ironworkers
    • Laborers
    • Mechanics
    • Millwrights
    • Painters
    • Piledriving Occupations
    • Plumbers and Pipefitters
    • Roofers
    • Sheet Metal Workers
    • Surveyors
    • Sprinker Fitters
    • Truck Drivers
    • Tug Boat Workers
    • Welders
  3. The Commissioner of the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities and the Commissioner of the Department of Administration shall coordinate with and provide information concerning activities under this Order to the Commissioner of the Department of Labor and Workforce Development, including information required under AS 36.05.035 and other information related to compliance with this Order during the life of the project.
  4. The Department of Transportation and Public Facilities and the Department of Administration, for applicable State construction projects, shall provide information to the Commissioner of the Department of Labor and Workforce Development, including the:
    1. name of the project;
    2. dollar value of the project;
    3. name of the prime contractor and contact information; and
    4. name of each subcontractor and contact information provided to the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities or the Department of Administration, as applicable, by the prime contractor.
  5. The Commissioner of the Department of Labor and Workforce Development shall assist the Commissioner of the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities and the Commissioner of the Department of Administration by collecting and reporting for each state construction project identified the total:
    1. apprentice hours worked on the project; and
    2. journeymen hours worked on the project.
  6. The Commissioners of the Department of Labor and Workforce Development, the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities, and the Department of Administration shall report annually to the Governor on the percent of apprentice hours achieved for United States Department of Labor Standard Occupational Classification Systems job titles: Boilermakers, Bricklayers, Carpenters, Cement Masons, Culinary Workers, Electricians, Equipment Operators, Elevator Constructors & Mechanics, Insulation Workers, Ironworkers, Laborers, Mechanics, Millwrights, Painters, Piledriving Occupations, Plumbers and Pipefitters, Roofers, Sheet Metal Workers, Surveyors, Sprinkler Fitters, Truck Drivers, Tug Boat Workers, Welders.
  7. The Commissioner of the Department of Natural Resources shall, in the development of Best Interest Findings for mineral and oil and gas leases, seek input from other agencies and include a discussion of the potential benefits of the lessee’s hiring and employment of apprentices to perform at least 15 percent of total work hours. As to existing leases, the Commissioner of Natural Resources shall strive to consider ways to encourage lessees developing minerals, including oil and gas, on State-owned land to employ apprentices for work performed on the leased area.
  8. The Commissioner of the Department of Labor and Workforce Development shall submit a report to the Governor by November 15, 2020, that shall include a description of the apprentice hours achieved through this Order, recommendations for change to the directives of this Order, and other information to assist the Governor in determining if the directives in this Order are being met.

In this Order, unless the context clearly requires otherwise,

  1. “apprentice” means an apprentice enrolled in a federally registered approved apprenticeship training program under 29 U.S.C. 50 and 29 C.F.R. 29.1 – 29.13;
  2. “construction” has the meaning given in AS 36.30.990(7), except that “construction” does not include the services and professional services relating to planning and design required for the construction;
  3. “federally registered approved apprenticeship training program” means an apprenticeship training program approved by the Office of Apprenticeship Training Employer and Labor Services, United States Department of Labor, under 29 U.S.C. 50 and 29 C.F.R. 29.1 – 29.13; and
  4. “labor hours” means the total hours of work performed by construction workers on the project, but does not include hours worked by superintendents, owners, and workers who are not subject to prevailing wage requirements of AS 36.05.070.

Revocation

Administrative Order 226 is revoked.

Effective Date and Sunset Provision

This Order takes effect November 10th, 2015.

This Order expirers January 1, 2021.

DATED at Juneau, Alaska, this 5th day of November, 2015

/s/Bill Walker
Governor

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