Businessman: CNMI needs vocational schools

The lack of vocational training schools in the CNMI is the main reason why local companies have to look outside the Commonwealth to acquire skilled laborers. This, according to James Thomas, should be changed if the CNMI wants to improve its local employment numbers.

Thomas, a 12-year business veteran who runs Windsock Saipan Inc., said during the weekly meeting of the Saipan Rotary Club Tuesday at the Hyatt Regency Saipan that, if one looks around—especially education—the island is producing either an unskilled or semi-skilled labor force.

“[The] big factor is that there is no training available here,” he said, though he was quick to add that he is not making a generalization about the education system in the CNMI, but only on the vocational aspect of it.

He said there are no Fortune 500 companies here on the CNMI, which is why there is no need to establish a business school on the island.

Thomas observed that most high school graduates are forced to leave the island for further training or advanced studies. He said these students have the drive to excel and learn more, but do not come back because of the lack of opportunities on island.

Thomas said he is concerned with the technical skills of the workforce in the CNMI as there is no local certification training school. The CNMI still has to answer to the certification requirement of U.S. laws. For example he said, a welder must be certified under U.S. law.

“Training is almost impossible to get on this island,” he said.

He said there is no certified electrician or certified plumber on the island who had acquired the certification locally. He said he would not be surprised if one goes to a car shop and one’s vehicle is not fixed right the first time around.

With all the politics now going on in the island, he said he has also not heard of a politician who has made vocational education in the CNMI a part of their platform. Not one among the candidates has promised to put up a program that would encourage high school graduates to stay and further their studies through vocational education, which is badly needed in the CNMI.

He said if these local high school students were given the chance, the CNMI would not hire more contract workers from abroad. “I would love to hire young people who have the drive,” he said.

He added that his firm does not pay the minimum wage because he had learned from his father that if one pays an employee the minimum wage, the company would only get minimum effort from the employees.

He said he believes in the youth of the CNMI, that they are smart and very driven but right now, he is saddened when he hires young locals and he would ask them about their plans. All of them would say they would not stay long because they plan to study in the mainland or somewhere else.

Thomas said he longs to see a young man or woman who would come up to him and say “I’m interested in your ad” so that he would not hire more aliens.