Denita K. Yangetmai
GOVERNOR Arnold I. Palacios on Friday approved House Bill 23-48, which will re-establish a CNMI Registered Apprenticeship Program within the CNMI Department of Labor.
Authored by Rep. Denita K. Yangetmai, H.B. 23-48 is now Public Law 23-25. It aims to increase the number of U.S. highly skilled workers, establish systems for employees to hire and train apprentices, and authorize tax deductions for eligible costs directly associated with an approved registered apprenticeship program.
P.L. 23-25 repeals Public Law 15-5, which authorized Northern Marianas College to establish a U.S. registered apprenticeship program.
The new law moves the program to CNMI DOL and requires the Labor secretary to administer the apprenticeship program and coordinate with an advisory council; ensure that proper educational accreditation standards are met and maintained; develop standards for apprenticeship agreements; hire staff for the program; certify all participating businesses to be in good standing; and collaborate with the CNMI Public School System to assist in their alignment of the Career Technical Education program with Labor’s apprenticeship program.
Under P.L. 15-5, the new law stated, the program’s implementation “has been troublesome due to a lack of a specified funding source to administer the program.” Furthermore, P.L. 15-5 does not require the collaboration of CNMI DOL, a department tasked to handle private sector labor issues in the Commonwealth.
Mindful of the labor shortages that the CNMI is facing, P.L. 23-25 states that “it is highly pertinent to allow for the appropriate agency to collaborate with the respective institutions to administer [the apprentice program’s] implementation.”
