Scholarships and Training Opportunities
Start your career in mining with real support behind you. Through scholarships and paid training opportunities, UAS and industry partners like Hecla Mining Company and Coeur Alaska, Inc. are investing in your future—helping you gain skills, earn credentials, and step directly into the workforce.
Hecla Greens Creek Mine Mechanic Scholarship
Are you ready for a career in mining? UAS and Hecla Greens Creek want to help put you to work. Through generous donations made possible by industry support, selected scholarship recipients receive the cost of tuition up to 16 credits in their first semester for approved classes, and if pursuing an A.A.S., tuition, and fees for approved classes in their second year if the student maintains a cumulative 3.0 GPA. If selected to receive the scholarship, the funds will automatically be applied to your student account. Scholarships recipients will be notified by phone and email if selected. This scholarship is highly competitive, please apply early. To learn more about how to apply for the scholarship, please contact David Ruf, Director of Technical Education at the School of Career Education at david.ruf@alaska.edu or (907) 796-6130. To learn more about current job opportunities at Greens Creek, visit https://www.hecla.com/current-
Coeur Alaska’s Mobile Mechanic Trainee Program
Train. Get Paid. Start Your Career.
The Mobile Mechanic Trainee Program, offered by Coeur Alaska, Inc., provides a direct pathway from education to a high-demand career in diesel and heavy equipment mechanics. This program is open to graduates of University of Alaska Southeast’s Mining Pathways Program and second-year A.A.S. Power Technology students. Successful program candidates will have their tuition fully covered by Coeur Alaska, and receive a monthly stipend along with paid, hands-on experience while school is not in session. This isn’t just training—it’s a supported pathway into a full-time career.
Why This Opportunity Stands Out:
- Tuition fully covered after being accepted into the Mobile Trainee Program
- Monthly stipend while attending school
- Paid, hands-on job experience during school breaks
- Direct path to full-time employment after graduation
Through their coursework at UAS, students build real-world skills in diesel systems and heavy equipment, gaining experience in inspection, maintenance, and repair. Training includes diesel and gas engine troubleshooting, as well as diagnosing mechanical, hydraulic, and electrical systems—all with a strong emphasis on safe operation and industry best practices.
What You’ll Learn:
- Equipment inspection and maintenance
- Diesel and gas engine troubleshooting
- Mechanical, hydraulic, and electrical systems
- Safe operation and repair practices
This hands-on experience prepares graduates to work on equipment such as loaders, haul trucks, and drilling machinery. Upon successful completion of the program, participants transition directly into full-time employment as Mobile Mechanics with Coeur Alaska’s Kensington Mine, opening the door to long-term career growth in Alaska’s mining industry.
Learn more at www.coeur.com/kensington (careers tab) or contact HRkensington@coeur.com with questions.
Continue Your Training: MAPTS Program
Students who complete the High School Mine Training Pathway gain a strong foundation for advanced training opportunities across the University of Alaska system, including the Mining and Petroleum Training Service (MAPTS) program at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
MAPTS introduces students to underground mining, safety culture, and camp-style work environments. This intensive training program is designed to prepare participants for immediate employment in the mining industry.
Students from the pathway program enter MAPTS with a competitive advantage, having already developed foundational skills and industry awareness. Since 2014, Hecla Greens Creek has directly hired over 70 MAPTS graduates into full-time underground support mining positions—demonstrating a clear connection from training to career.