60 PSS students take part in the 1st CTE & Me event

Sixty students from Tanapag Middle School, ChaCha Ocean View Middle School, Da’ok Academy, Saipan Southern High School, and Kagman High School attend the first ever “Career and Technical Education & Me” event yesterday afternoon at the Northern Marianas Technical Institute campus in Lower Base. (LEIGH GASES)

The Northern Marianas Technical Institute, in partnership with the CNMI Public School System, hosted its first ever “Career and Technical Education & Me” event yesterday afternoon at the NMTech campus in Lower Base.

Sixty students from Tanapag Middle School, ChaCha Ocean View Middle School, Da’ok Academy, Saipan Southern High School, and Kagman High School attended the event, along with guest speakers that included acting Labor secretary Leila Staffler, NMTech chief executive officer Jodina Attao, and Education Commissioner Dr. Alfred Ada. Also in attendance was Delegate Gregorio Kilili C. Sablan (D-MP).

Not in attendance were Marianas High School students but they already have body and fender automotive courses at NMTech; SSHS and COVMS students are taught woodworking; KHS students are in culinary class; TMS students are taught CORE: Construction; and Da’Ok Academy students are taught construction craft laborer.

Career and Technical Education provides students of all ages with the academic and technical skills, knowledge, and training necessary to succeed in future careers and to become lifelong learners.

Breakout sessions were conducted by chef Zenn Tomokane in the Culinary Arts trade; Gonzalo Pangelinan in the Automotive Technology trade; and Efrain Camacho for the Construction trade.

In Staffler’s remarks, she said that PSS is the most important partner of DOL because “you are the future. Everything that we’re doing is for you, so that when you graduate, you can come out and take care of us. I thank you in advance for your service and I look forward to seeing who you become.”

She touched base on the end of the CW-1 program in 2029 and discussed DOL’s efforts in building a sustainable workforce for the CNMI in which they collect data, support workforce development programs by sharing data and leveraging resources, expand on existing programs such as Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act partnerships, apprenticeship, pre-apprenticeship, and skill-up, enhancing workforce protections and opportunities, and implementing regular unemployment programs.

In Attao’s remarks, she reiterated the importance of trades in the CNMI. With skilled workers leaving the CNMI in six years, she said the future really are the young students of the CNMI. “It’s up to us to build people to replace them. At NMTech, we offer a lot of courses that people can avail of.” She said that PSS, DOL, and NMTech are all working as partners to make sure the CNMI has a sustainable workforce.

Ada said, “We want to start building our local capacity at middle school already and we are on track right now.” He said he is pleased that young middle school students will get their certifications and are ahead of the curve and that they will meet the workforce needs.

Ada said the event’s turnout went well. He said they want children to realize that by 2029, the CW-1 workforce will have to exit and that they would have to be the one to step up.

With the students in attendance yesterday, “I’m very hopeful. I’m very confident. Repetition is how we learn as human beings, so we continue to pitch to them the importance of filling in the gaps in the workforce.”

Remarks were also made by Dr. Sam Mabini-Young from Guam Association for Career and Technical Education and Da’Ok Academy senior Nicole Bauleong, who was the first female who signed up for construction courses at NMTech last fall semester. The mistress of ceremony was Dr. Jessica Taylor, PSS CTE director.