IN a joint letter to Northern Marianas Technical Institute board chairman Mario Valentino, minority bloc Sens. Paul Manglona and Edith Deleon Guerrero urged NMTI to resume operations for the sake of its students.
“It is with great disappointment we write to you regarding the current discontinuation of the [NMTI] operations. With the closure of NMTI, approximately 100 students are being affected, not accounting for the additional 120 students that are on the waiting list for the next ‘module’ cycle,” the senators wrote.
Of the current NMTI students, 30 are pursuing their high school diploma equivalent in trade and vocational certifications, such as the National Center for Construction Education and Research, or NCCER, certification.
“This means that these students are being displaced from furthering their educational and vocational career at a CNMI-based institution. All of these students require the help of the government, more than ever, to ensure a productive future for themselves, their loved ones, and the entire CNMI,” the senators wrote.
Citing Public Law No. 20-92 §12105, the senators noted that there are several purposes of the institute, including providing advanced trades, career and technical training courses for all public high school students that wish to pursue a vocational and trades career.
“In other words, the overall biggest concern of the Northern Marianas Technical Institute are the students. By ceasing NMTI’s operations, none of its purposes… are being fulfilled and the students’ future, educational, and professional careers are being discarded,” said the senators.
They noted that in the FY 2022 budget proposal, there is a clear necessity to prioritize recovery efforts to help revitalize the local economy.
Pursuant to U.S. P.L. 116-94, Gov. Ralph DLG Torres, in the proposal, stresses the need for foreign labor — 3,000 additional construction workers — to rebuild the CNMI and its economy in the aftermath of both Typhoon Mangkhut and Super Typhoon Yutu.
Moreover, in the budget proposal, the governor states, “The three-year period is expiring in 2022 for these 3,000 workers and it is important that we accelerate our request to U.S. Congress to extend the period as a result of the public health emergency including local legislation necessary to ease the statutes governing the importation of foreign labor, specifically for construction workers.”
In addition to addressing this concern about the need for foreign labor, the senators said that there is a need to remain focused on the skills and trainings that NMTI can provide to the future local labor workforce.
They said that they are certain that this goal of addressing the manpower shortage cannot be adequately attained if there is no budget being allocated to NMTI in FY 2021 as well as in the FY 2022 budget proposal.
“Instead, we are closing the school due to the new NMTI board’s inability to address the transition from a private entity to a public entity, resulting in hurting the students,” the senators said.
The NMTI students, some of whom come from the low-income bracket, they added, rely heavily on the government’s assistance to attend NMTI in the hopes of obtaining the necessary skills needed to enhance their educational and professional careers.
“What is happening to these students’ tuition funds, scholarships, and other out-of-pocket expenses as well as their credits earned now that NMTI is not currently operating? How long is NMTI expected to be closed?” the senators asked.
“We urge you, on behalf of the NMTI students and Senate body, to open your doors and resume operations for the sake of the students’ futures. The lack of communication and unclear reasoning to cease NMTI operations is greatly disappointing especially during a time where the skills learned at NMTI can help our island, and most importantly your students, have a brighter future.”
Paul Manglona
Edith Deleon Guerrero
