Anchorage is home to one of nine campuses of Charter College, which offers five bachelor's degrees, 10 associate degrees and six diploma and certification programs. The school offers hands-on training, technical partnerships and online courses.
A small, open-admission school, Career Academy offers certification and accreditation programs in areas such as tourism and hospitality, allied health, computer technology, business and aviation. Courses are offered on a continuous calendar, and approximately 88 percent of the students receive financial assistance.
Anchorage also offers a location of the Alaska Institute of Technology, which provides in-person and online programs in areas such as the building trades, allied health, information technology, maritime training and culinary arts.
The family-owned Academy of Hair Design provides programs of study in hairdressing, barbering and aesthetics. Additional classes are offered for current professionals in the field to refresh their skills. In addition to individualized hands-on training, students are taught business methods in running a shop or salon and building a client base.
Established in 1972, the Trend Setters School of Beauty houses a fully functional salon that serves the Anchorage public, allowing students to gain experience using the skills taught in the classroom. Students are prepared to take the Alaska Hairdressing Exam and become licensed cosmetologists.
In addition to cosmetology and hairdressing, the GateKey School of Mind-Body Integration Studies provides training in massage therapy.
Aero Tech Flight Service, Inc. began flight training classes in 1956. Today, the school uses Cessna and Piper aircraft to train students for private and commercial pilots as well as for other jobs in the aerospace field. Aero Tech also offers student loan programs.
The first school for helicopter training in the state, Alaska's Alyeska Helicopters provides three types of training to future and current pilots, and individual license programs are available --- with several specific options --- as well as a professional helicopter training program and "add-on" licensing programs for existing pilots.
The Alaska Joint Electrical Apprenticeship Training Trust provides training for a number of positions in electrical work, primarily those of outside lineman, inside wireman and communications worker. Each area of focus requires 8,000 hours of real-world experience in addition to classroom studies.
The Alaska Computer Training Center offers students the option of taking instructor-led or self-paced courses in programs including Microsoft Office. Customized training is also available for businesses with specialized needs.