NANA Works: Tech Platform to Boost Iñupiat Workforce in Northwest Alaska

KOTZEBUE, Alaska and PALM HARBOR, Fla. – May 26, 2026 – A new strategic partnership is set to bring a state-of-the-art digital employment platform to one of America’s most remote regions, aiming to connect over 15,000 Iñupiat shareholders with meaningful career opportunities. NANA Regional Corporation, an Alaska Native-owned corporation, has teamed up with workforce technology leader Geographic Solutions to launch NANA Works, a platform designed to foster economic growth and empower the local workforce across Northwest Alaska.

The initiative leverages Geographic Solutions' advanced VOS Sapphire technology to create a centralized hub for job seekers and employers. Through NANA Works, shareholders can explore job openings, access vital training programs, and utilize tailored resources designed to support their career journeys. The platform represents a significant investment in the region's human capital, addressing long-standing challenges of connecting a dispersed population with sustainable employment.

Bridging the Opportunity Gap in the Last Frontier

Northwest Alaska, a vast and sparsely populated region, presents a unique set of economic and workforce challenges. Like many rural areas, it contends with a limited diversity of industries, an aging workforce, and significant gaps in broadband infrastructure. For the Iñupiat people, who have called this land home for millennia, finding local, well-paying employment is often a critical factor in preserving cultural ties and community cohesion.

NANA Regional Corporation, established under the 1971 Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA), has a mandate to promote the economic and social well-being of its shareholders. The corporation is already a major economic driver, with a family of companies operating in sectors from resource development and construction to professional services. Major projects like the Red Dog Mine, a partnership between NANA and Teck Alaska, provide crucial employment that allows shareholders to work within their home region.

NANA Works is designed to amplify these efforts. By creating a single, accessible online system, the platform aims to break down barriers to employment. It provides a clear pathway for shareholders to find jobs not only within NANA's own companies—which maintain a shareholder preference hiring policy—but also with other employers across the region. The goal is to create a more dynamic and resilient local economy, reducing the need for residents to leave their communities in search of work and potentially encouraging the return of those who have already left.

Technology Tailored for Community Empowerment

At the core of NANA Works is Geographic Solutions' VOS Sapphire platform, a sophisticated system honed over two decades of deployment with government workforce agencies across more than 40 states. The technology is far more than a simple job board. It is an integrated workforce development tool that incorporates modern advancements, including artificial intelligence.

For job-seeking shareholders, the platform’s AI Assist tools can be a powerful asset. These features can help users build professional resumes and cover letters from scratch, generate practice questions for upcoming interviews, and receive intelligent recommendations for jobs that match their skills and aspirations. This level of support is particularly valuable in a region where access to in-person career counseling services may be limited.

For employers, the system streamlines the recruitment process. They can use AI-powered tools to draft effective job descriptions and efficiently sift through applicants to identify qualified local talent. This enhances their ability to connect with the shareholder population, fulfilling both hiring needs and, in NANA's case, a corporate mission.

"NANA Works represents a significant step forward in connecting individuals with the opportunities and resources they need to succeed, and we're proud to partner with NANA to deliver a platform that supports long-term career growth and strengthens the workforce across Northwest Alaska," said Paul Toomey, President and Founder of Geographic Solutions, in a statement announcing the launch.

While the platform offers cutting-edge technology, its success will also depend on overcoming practical hurdles like variable internet access and digital literacy levels across the shareholder base. The initiative's long-term impact will be measured by its ability to be truly user-friendly and accessible to all who wish to use it.

Upholding Values Through Economic Opportunity

The launch of NANA Works is deeply intertwined with the corporation's guiding Iñupiat Ilitqusiat values, which include principles like Hard Work, Cooperation, and Responsibility to Tribe. By investing in a tool that directly supports the professional development and self-sufficiency of its people, NANA is translating these traditional values into a modern strategy for community prosperity.

The platform directly facilitates NANA’s long-standing shareholder preference policy, which gives priority to qualified shareholders and their descendants for jobs within the corporation and its subsidiaries. NANA Works makes this policy more transparent and efficient, providing a clear mechanism for shareholders to identify and apply for these opportunities. Furthermore, by integrating access to internships and training programs, the platform helps build a pipeline of skilled Iñupiat professionals for the future.

This focus on internal development ensures that as the regional economy grows, the primary beneficiaries are the local people. It is a model that seeks to create a sustainable economic ecosystem where career advancement does not require sacrificing connection to family, community, and traditional lands. The platform is not just about finding a job; it is about building a career and a future within Northwest Alaska.

The collaboration between a leading national technology provider and a community-focused Alaska Native corporation offers a compelling blueprint for targeted workforce development. As NANA Works rolls out, it will be closely watched as a potential model for other Indigenous organizations and remote communities around the world seeking to harness technology to create economic opportunity and empower their people for generations to come.