Alaska students earn credit through mining

As of December 2012, the unemployment rate for teens was 23.5 percent, more than three times that of their adult counterparts.

But the Associated Press reports that the mining sector is offering high school seniors in Alaska unique opportunities to earn high school and college credit and even paid summer internships.

Live, video-conferencing classes are being offered between January and April as a cooperative effort between the state education department, the University of Alaska Southeast and Alaska’s Learning Network. Students who successfully complete the one-semester course will be eligible to apply for internships in the state.

Mining currently supports more than 9,000 jobs in Alaska, and more than 1.9 million nationwide.