There were 30 participating companies and government agencies that took part in this year’s Public School System’s Career Fair which aimed to provide training and part-time jobs to students.
Tyce Mister, cooperative program coordinator and a teacher at Marianas High School, described Friday’s event as a “success.”
“Businesses are looking for young, enthusiastic and eager students to work on their companies and I can say that we have excellent students from the cooperative program that would best suit their employment needs,” Mister told Variety.
The cooperative education program is offered at MHS and Kagman High School.
The students who participated in the fair included 37 from MHS, 18 from KagHS, and 15 from the special education department’s transitional program.
Mister said he was “delighted” to see this year’s 30 companies and agencies providing help and assistance to local students.
Majority of his students apply for summer jobs for which they get credits.
“It’s like we’re hitting two birds with just one stone,” he said. “This is a great opportunity for our businesses and our students.”
Eighteen-year-old MHS senior Joey Songao said he wants to “keep his job” while completing his secondary education.
“I’ve worked during the summer at DFS as a visual merchandiser,” he told Variety, adding that he prefers to be hired by a firm near his Garapan residence to save time and gasoline.
He said he is working to help pay for his family’s expenses.
Peter Syl Mettao, 18, also from MHS, said he is looking for any part-time job and prefers businesses located in the Garapan and San Jose areas.
“I want to have first-hand experience at the same time earn money for me and my family,” he told Variety, adding that the economic crisis is forcing many students like him to find ways to help their families.
Kagman High School seniors Tom Pangelinan and Temara Camacho said the event “is a good heads up” for them.
Pangelinan wants to become a marine biologist while Camacho said she will study law.
Other students interviewed by the Variety said they, too, were seeking part-time jobs.
According to Delta Management Corp. president and owner Jim Arenovski, his company has been participating in the career fair for 10 years now.
He describes the program as a successful venture.
“With the pending federalization law, we need to hire local folks and what better way of getting local kids into the workforce than through this job fair,” he said. “We want to find folks that are eager to learn…and I can say that our business is benefiting from this career fair.”
Delta Management Corp., he added, has been hiring people from the program and “many of them are among our best employees.”
Besides Delta Management, this year’s participating companies and agencies included the Commonwealth Development Authority, the CNMI Supreme Court, the Commonwealth Ports Authority, the Department of Public Health, the Division of Environmental Quality, Herman’s Bakery, Hyatt Regency Saipan, iConnect, JC Tenorio Enterprises, Joeten Motors, Ace Hardware, the Law Revision Commission, Louis Vuitton Saipan, Mariana Resort, the Marianas Visitors Authority, Northern Marianas College, the Northern Marianas Housing Corp., the Northern Marianas Protection & Advocacy Systems Inc., the Office of Adult Probation, the CNMI Superior Court, Pacific Islands Club, the Public School System, PTI, Saipan Grand Hotel, Saipan World Resort, Saipan Zoo, Sorenson Media, Tan Holdings Corp., Triple J Group of Companies and the Workforce Investment Act program.
