From the Editor

Welcome to 2019…
Year of Recovery?
W

e’ve finally reached 2019; the year that is supposed to mark a real reversal for Alaska’s economy. Talk of a 2019 turnaround was already weaving its way throughout the business community at this time last year, but some serious oil and gas investments combined with favorable legislative moves have turned talk into action and, we hope, results.

We’re already seeing positive signals coming from the oil and gas sector. Alaska held a record-breaking land lease sale late in 2018, netting $28.1 million from oil and gas lease sales in the North Slope and the Beaufort Sea. A 2018 study from London-based global information provider, IHS Markit, reports that the North Slope is expected to emerge again as a major US energy source. “We expect development in the basin to continue to be driven by commercial masters ConocoPhillips and ExxonMobil [as well as] challengers Oil Search and Hilcorp,” says Kareemah Mohamed, associate director of plays and basins research at IHS Markit.

Kathryn Mackenzie
Managing Editor, Alaska Business

As the workforce of today, it’s up to us to help tomorrow’s workforce answer and get started on the path toward the age-old question: “What do I want to be when I grow up?”
ConocoPhillips, Brooks Range Petroleum, Oil Search, Hilcorp, and BP have each made moves recently that signal they are ready to begin investing, exploring, and developing again. Check out the 2019 Oil and Gas Forecast and 2019 Economic Forecast articles in this issue.

A sign of any economy’s health is often the level of education attained by its workforce. Whether it’s oil and gas, healthcare, tourism, mining, or all of the above, the more one knows about his or her given career path, the better for everyone involved. Employers look for workers who are talented, dependable, and know what they’re doing on the job. Employees want to be fulfilled, make a decent paycheck, and have a healthy work/life balance.

Junior Achievement (JA) is the conduit between education and career for many youngsters. JA fosters programs to teach kindergarten through grade twelve work-readiness, entrepreneurship, and financial literacy skills. The program also uses experiential learning to inspire students to dream big and reach their potential. The Alaska Business team was recently honored by a visit from three JA participants who spent the day interviewing each of us about our various jobs in publishing. It was a fantastic experience, and though they were here to learn from us, I walked away thinking more about my job and how I can do it better.

As the workforce of today, it’s up to us to help tomorrow’s workforce answer and get started on the path toward the age-old question: “What do I want to be when I grow up?”

Thank you to the Smith sisters for visiting us and gracing our cover dressed as your future selves. And to all of our readers… Happy New Year!