Case Study: State of Alaska achieves rapid telework deployment and workforce development with Cornerstone OnDemand

How the State of Alaska turned crisis into opportunity amid COVID-19

The State of Alaska’s Department of Administration faced a sudden, large-scale shift to remote work during COVID-19—teleworkers jumped from about 100 to over 6,200, Microsoft Teams needed to scale from 40 testers to 10,000+, VPNs had to be stood up, and four administrative functions were being consolidated—all with limited funding and no headcount increase. To maintain services for Alaskans and prepare for prolonged remote operations, the state sought a technology backbone plus workforce development to enable effective telework.

Using CARES Act funds and partnering with The Marick Group, the state implemented Cornerstone Learning and Cornerstone Performance (AspireAlaska), deploying to ~15,000 users in 62 days. The rollout provided online courses and integrated performance tools, enabling supervisors to manage remotely, tracking learning and competencies, and reducing travel costs; within 24 hours employees enrolled in 550 courses and 10% of users began performance planning immediately, improving training access, closing knowledge gaps, and strengthening state service delivery.

State of Alaska

Amanda Holland

DOA Acting Commissioner