The National Apprenticeship Act of 2020 has really opened the door for funding a Systemic Workforce Transition Plan that can be a real game-changer for the CNMI. According to Delegate Kilili’s Webpage: “the Act incorporates his bill, H.R. 8320, the Outlying Area Apprentice Expansion Act, which invests $2.8 million over five years to set up registered apprenticeships in the Marianas. The Titus amendment to the Bill makes the hospitality and tourism industry, which contributes nearly 45 percent to Marianas GDP, eligible for grants to create new apprenticeships. The National Apprenticeship Act will now move to the Senate for consideration.” Thanks, Kilili and keep-up the good work!
The Feds are literally giving the CNMI 2.8 million to help us with our Workforce Transition if WE the People can get our leaders on the Hill to do the work by creating the law that will provide the “infrastructure and means for apprenticeship training of Locals who will replace CW workers.” The CNMI is figuratively looking-a-gift horse-in-the-mouth with this Apprenticeship Program but if we don’t know how to ride the horse (use the Program) then Kilili’s work was literally all for nothing. The Government has been asking for ideas and I gave the Government & PSS a great idea for transitioning as many adults and especially our youth into the workforce as possible using a well-established researched base model that has proven to be very successful. I have shared this successful “Public Service Program” model on more than one occasion so I won’t go into it. Given there isn’t a Systemic Plan, I am willing to help the new Democrats, whom I believe will listen, with creating a Systemic Workforce Apprentice Program because the CNMI really needs “a Transition Czar or Coordinator” to lead and act as the “Liaison” (glue) between all the stakeholders who will implement the plan for transitioning as many local youth as possible into the workforce. Time is NOT on our side as the clock is ticking Governor Torres and Education Commissioner Ada! Please don’t let “shame be part of your game” the CNMI is depending on U!
When will our leaders learn that the Federal Government IS NOT playing CNMI politics but is all about implementing REAL Federal CHANGE! I don’t have to remind readers of all the times the Feds have warned the CNMI about this & that but our leaders didn’t listen only to see the Feds step-in and take over like they did with minimum wage and immigrations. The Feds are trying to help us transition our workforce with this Apprenticeship Program but it won’t mean a thing if we just ignore. In fact, if we continue to ignore the Feds and the need to make a legitimate effort to transition our workforce it will make matters worse with the Feds in less than 9 years when our Transition efforts are supposed to be completed by Law. History is PROOF that our Republicans have always stalled around and even ignored the Feds in the past which is why the CNMI is facing an “or ELSE.” If the CNMI fails again to meet the deadline for transitioning our workforce, the or ELSE is the Feds will come in and do it for us again just like they did with Immigrations & Minimum Wage.
I hope the Democrats will contact me about the Transition Plan that I previously proposed because the Republicans have been “good at doing nothing” related to our transition efforts. They are only good for putting things off on our children like “DEBT” and now they are literally putting-off the workforce transition on our future leaders by not having a Systemic Workforce Transition Plan. I’m sure most readers have the common sense to know that “a failure to plan is a plan for failure.” The CNMI truly needs to be ready to hit-the-ground-running once the National Apprenticeship Act is passed into law. Nobody can deny that our Republican leaders have proven to be dead last compared to other state level governments when it comes to the allocation and use of Federal Funds.
But I’m hopeful and even confident the Democrats won’t let it come to an “or ELSE moment with the Feds” given they are far more capable in making sure we expedite our efforts as there will be 2.8 million waiting for the CNMI to implement a system-wide transition plan. The plan that I previously proposed to PSS will encompass all employers who are using CW Labor giving them “free additional labor to train eventually replace their CW” and students who want a career in the CNMI will gain “a grade(s) for course work & certification in their field of study,” we just need leadership with Governor Torres or the Legislature & PSS -NMC being committed to do the work!
To be continued: One People One Direction.
The writer is a retired teacher, former CNMI Board of Education Member, James Madison Fellow (U.S. Constitutional Scholar) and a Fulbright-Hays Foreign Scholar who resides in Kagman III.
