US Labor OKs WIA state plan By MARIAN A. MARAYA

The US Department of Labor has approved for implementation the Workforce Investment Agency’s five-year strategic state plan after a thorough review of the agency’s proposed planning process.

In a letter to Governor Pedro P. Tenorio, Regional Administrator Armando Quiroz said that the Commonwealth’s WIA state plan is consistent with its campaign to transform and reshape the Northern Marianas’ workforce development into an educationally- and occupationally-equipped system that meets global challenges.

“From studying the plan, it is apparent that the CNMI has made a great commitment to the WIA principle of strengthened partnerships between education, labor, and job training,” said the US labor official.

But prior to the state plan’s approval, the US Labor had asked the local agency to name its own WIA representative as mandated under the new act.

The governor moved to address this concern by appointing WIA Executive Director Felix Nogis to be a member of the Single State Workforce Investment Board to represent him and the Title I agency (WIA).

“One of the distinctions of this new act is that I am part of the board,” said Mr. Nogis.
The federal agency had asked WIA to show the board’s composition to determine if the local agency is in line with the requirements of placing decision-making people in position.

In compliance with the statute, Mr. Tenorio submitted to the US Labor the list of appointed WIB members to include Rep. Heinz Hofschneider, Community and Cultural Affairs Secretary Tom Tebuteb, PSS Associate Commissioner Rita Sablan, Vocational Rehabilitation Director Tee Abraham, Adult Basic Education Director Fe Calixterio, Senate Vice President Thomas Villagomez, and Employment Services Director Alfred Pangelinan.

DFS president Marian Aldan-Pierce, Tasi Tours general manager Dave Igitol, Carmen Safeway president Frances Borja, Nikko Hotel executive assistant Ray Dela Cruz, Hyatt Human Resources director Josephine Mesta, Villagomez Enterprises’ Ed Villagomez, Rota Merchandizing Corp. assistant manager Barbara Dela Cruz, Ayuda Network director Konrad Reyes, and Karidat director Angie Guerrero have also been appointed WIB members by the governor, representing the private sector.

During a preliminary meeting, the board has elected Ms. Borja and Ms. Pierce as chair and vice chair of WIB, respectively.

With the completion of the state plan, the board’s current priority is to accomplish a memorandum of understanding between agencies involved in job employment and training programs to expedite efforts at enhancing the sector’s quality of services.

The board has yet to meet and draft a comprehensive MOU on the proposed employment services partnership eyed to improve the process of job-seeking, assessment, and skills training.