Sablan, who was the keynote speaker at the Saipan Chamber of Commerce installation dinner on Saturday evening, said he encouraged U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis to extend the five-year transition of the federal immigration law beyond 2015.
He said this will allow the CNMI to retain a sufficient workforce, and provide the commonwealth the authority to certify the need for foreign labor like Guam.
Sablan at the same time encouraged businesses to hire more U.S. citizens.
“I must remind you that foreign labor cannot be the permanent basis for a sound economy,” he said.
Sablan said he heard the many stories from people about how locals are not good employees.
“I disagree with most of these stories about local workers,” he said.
He said he has met many people from the CNMI who have moved to the states.
“They find work, stay on their jobs, get promoted and they are good employees,” Sablan said.
He added that if these CNMI residents stayed and were employed here, they would be spending their incomes here and add to the revenues of the islands’ businesses.
Sablan said he secured $1.35 million in federal funding this year, most of which will be used for education.
He said Tony Pellegrino’s trade institute will get $200,000 so it can continue to train locals in trade skills such as carpentry, plumbing, masonry, automotive, electrical, sewing and culinary arts.
