Gov. Benigno R. Fitial said this is welcome news for the CNMI as there are proposals from two major shipping companies to build a shipyard on Saipan.
Fitial said Guam Shipyard and Allegiance Capital are interested in making Saipan a hub to repair commercial or military ships.
Guam Shipyard estimates to need 600 welders while Allegiance will need at least 70.
The governor said welding is among the trades skills that will be available in the local apprenticeship program.
NMC President Carmen Fernandez said the U.S. accreditation attests that the CNMI can produce quality trades persons.
“With this recognition by the U.S. Department of Education, we will be able to fill the critically needed positions in the CNMI,” she said.
Eric Magofna, vice principal of Kagman High School and the designated apprenticeship coordinator of the Public School System, said this development will surely encourage graduating high school students to explore other options.
NMC’s dean of Community Programs and Services, Tee Abraham, said the accreditation is like getting a clean bill of health from federal authorities.
Edith Deleon Guerrero, the executive director of the Workforce Investment Agency, said her office is working hard to help youths and adults who are interested in taking training programs that will prepare them for the local job market.
She said the anticipated federal stimulus money can help them implement more training programs that will prepare residents in specialized fields.
“The initial phase is really building that relationship with the U.S. Department of Labor. WIA played a key role on this because we are funded under the U.S. Department of Labor and with this stimulus funding coming on the pipeline to all the states, in all the training employment guiding letters from the U.S. Department of Labor, every state throughout the country, including the CNMI, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa and Palau, are required to implement the U.S. apprenticeship employment program,” she said.
“With this MOU being signed today [by the governor, PSS and NMC], it really implements the program in the state level. It’s a history in the making for all of us,” she added.
