Frances Torres, WIA Director
THE CNMI Department of Labor and the Workforce Investment Agency are partnering with the Northern Marianas Technical Institute to offer a pre-apprenticeship program that can pay participants a stipend and provide a pathway to registered apprenticeship.
According to WIA Director Frances Torres, the program is “designed to provide individuals with fundamental skills and knowledge of the construction industry.”
A participant in the pre-apprenticeship program will take NMTech’s construction course load, which is an 85-hour introductory course. Participants will learn basic safety, introduction to various tools, the basics of materials handling, and more.
Classes begin Jan. 16 and will be held at the NMTech Lower Base campus.
The program will also place participants in a three-month construction internship so they can gain hands-on experience with trades work.
To qualify for the program, Torres said a participant must register and be determined eligible for WIA programs for adults, dislocated workers or youth.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor website, adults are 18 years and over, with special priority given to “recipients of public assistance, other low-income individuals, and individuals who are basic skills deficient.”
Dislocated workers are individuals who recently suffered job loss, mass layoffs, global trade dynamics, or transitions in economic sectors.
Youths who can qualify are between the ages of 14 and 24, and who “face barriers to education, training, and employment.”
Registration forms are available at the CNMI WIA office at Government Building 1353, Mednilla Avenue on Capital Hill, or at the CNMI DOL satellite offices at NMTech, the Kagman Community Center, the Carolinian Affairs Office, the Koblerville Youth Center or the San Vicente Youth Center.
For more information, call (670) 323-6608, (670) 235-1901, (670) 532-9479 or (670) 433-0089.
