Wells Fargo puts $250,000 into AVTEC scholarship fund

Wells Fargo's $250,000 gift to the Alaska Vocational and Technical Center will fund student scholarships and faculty recruitment at the Seward school.

The money goes to AVTEC, a division of the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development that trains Alaskans for skilled trades. Director Cory Ortiz said the funds will reach students directly. "Every scholarship awarded and every instructor we recruit and retain strengthens our ability to prepare skilled Alaskans for high-demand careers that keep our state moving," Ortiz said.

The announcement came Thursday at Bay Weld Boats in Homer, where Governor Mike Dunleavy, Department of Labor and Workforce Development Commissioner Cathy Muñoz, Wells Fargo Head of Public Affairs Jason Rosenberg, and television host Mike Rowe all spoke. Rowe's mikeroweWORKS Foundation funds trade scholarships nationally.

Rosenberg described the donation in economic terms. "Strong communities depend on a skilled workforce and access to opportunity," he said. "Our support of AVTEC is an investment in Alaska's workforce and its long-term economic growth."

Muñoz said private dollars extend what state funding alone cannot. "Expanding support for Alaskans will open the door for more Alaskans to attend industry-recognized training," she said.

The stakes are concrete. Economist Mike Jones of the Institute of Social and Economic Research found that 60% of Alaska's workforce holds jobs requiring no more than a high school diploma, yet 84.5% of Alaska occupations paying over $100,000 require at least a bachelor's degree.

The donation follows AVTEC's recent recognition by USA TODAY and Statista as one of America's Top Vocational Schools for 2026, the second consecutive year the school earned that distinction. The ranking weighs graduation rates, graduate salaries, diversity, social mobility, and time to pay off tuition costs.