(Anchorage) - Representative Gabrielle LeDoux (R-Kodiak) reported today that help is on the way for Kodiak residents that experience difficulty in navigating government services because of language and cultural barriers.

Representative LeDoux successfully advocated for funding in the Fiscal Year 2007 state budget that would be applied to a newly established position in the Kodiak Job Center. This position will help residents with limited English proficiency navigate employment services, access training and other State of Alaska services. Employment preference will be given to applicants fluent in Tagalog.

"This is a needed position because we have had to send employees from Anchorage several times each year to assist this unique population," said Alaska Department of Labor & Workforce Development Commissioner Greg O'Claray. "Itinerant services do not work as well as full-time services and this allows our department to continue to increase customer service."

The position was posted on Workplace Alaska as an Employment Specialist I in the Kodiak area. There have been over a dozen applicants and the interviewing process is underway. Representative LeDoux said, "I'm looking forward to seeing this position filled, it will be very helpful to a lot of people."

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