Sixty-eight students from Marianas High School, Saipan Southern High School, and Kagman High School completed their Trading Up: Hospitality course on Thursday, Feb. 8, at the Crowne Plaza Resort.
SIXTY-EIGHT students from Marianas High School, Saipan Southern High School and Kagman High School completed their Trading Up: Hospitality course on Thursday, Feb. 8, at the Crowne Plaza Resort.
The course is a dual enrolment program conducted by the Northern Marianas Technical Institute and the Public School System.
Students receive credit from both institutions. At PSS, the credits count as an elective course while at NMTech, the students earn credit from the American Hotel and Lodging Educational Institute or AHLEI.
During the course, students gained hands-on experience at the different departments of Surfrider Resort Hotel, Laolao Bay Golf & Resort, Pacific Islands Club, Coral Ocean Resort, and Crowne Plaza Resort.
They also attended a hospitality class, which featured guest speakers from the hospitality industry.
The AHLEI certification test was conducted by Island Training Solutions.
Island Training Solutions owner Jim Arenovski said with the reopening of the Chinese market, the students are in a better position to fill a workforce need in the local hospitality industry.
“Ask any hotel manager any restaurant owner or any retailer on the island, the continued issues with the CW transition program still haunt us 15 years after its implementation,” he told the graduates and their families. “We had some progress with Congressman Kilili’s office, the Saipan Chamber of Commerce and the governor in opening tourism travel connections for China. We have a few more hurdles to go through, but when that happens we’re really going to need you guys.”
Jodina Attao, NMTech CEO, said hospitality is part of local culture.
“If you grew up here, you have hospitality in you,” Attao said in her congratulatory remarks. She echoed Arenovski’s statement regarding the opportunities available to the students because of their certifications.
“This program leads to jobs and these jobs lead to careers — careers that can positively impact your livelihood and that will also benefit our community as a whole,” she said. “Do what you got to do, but invest in yourself.”
Yerma Camacho, a junior from Marianas High School, is hoping to leverage her certification into a job at Surfrider, where she trained during the Trading Up program.
She is also going to go to college — potentially, Northern Marians College — but a part-time job can help support her, she added.
“I have this certificate. I’m thinking I should use this certificate and have a part-time job working in a hotel,” she said.
Leonardo Tenorio, who trained with Camacho at Surfrider, is also hoping to be hired by Surfider as a food and beverage staff member.
“It was a really good experience and I really want to work there again,” Tenorio said. “I learned about food and beverage, the restaurant, how it works. I like the staff there — they were all friendly.”
Tenorio said he would gladly work as a waitstaff, bartender, or cook.
Saipan Southern High School graduated 26 students.
Kagman High School graduated 21 students.
Marianas High School graduated 21 students.
A Public School System student shakes hands with stakeholders on her way to receiving her American Hotel and Lodging Educational Institute certificate as part of completing the Trading Up: Hospitality course on Thursday, Feb. 8.
