The CNMI Department of Labor experienced one of the largest crowds to attend their 2023 Job Fair, as hundreds of job seekers flooded the Crowne Plaza in Garapan this past Friday.

“It is only my first year, but the team members that have been here for twenty and thirty plus years said that this is one of the biggest crowds they’ve ever experienced especially in the last three years, this is the biggest.” Shared Department of Labor Secretary Leila Staffler at the event

With crowds creating a long line outside the Hibiscus Hall nearly two hours before opening, the line was already snaking around the building to the opening of the Terrace Buffet when the event began at nine, and continued throughout the morning as individuals lined up and hundreds packed the hall itself. Staffler shared that the amount of people that showed up at the event just goes to show the genuine interest in working “Its amazing, the response from the community and I’m just so grateful that we can put an event together that would help people possibly find their future work.”

Because of the US Touchback rule set in motion, this year’s Job Fair had also been for employers as much as it was for the community members. Staffler said the event was “definitely a response to assist them through the transition period when they might lose a worker. We hope that they will invest in local workers so they don’t have to worry about visas and all kinds of stuff. But we do understand that there are some skill sets that are really critical that might not be available on island and so we really want to promote our apprenticeship programs and our training programs to help build up the local staff so that they have the skills that are needed, especially in the construction industry, I know that there’s a lot of growth to be had, but we have to do something. We can’t just say we have a problem and not address it.” She shared that they are doing their best to align programs, so businesses can find the skilled workers they need.

The 2023 Job Fair had 40 opportunities, with 31 employers/companies present, and nine information booths on certification courses and programs.

As one of the employing companies present at the event, Triple J’s Saipan Ana Olaes shared with Saipan Tribune “This is a successful event. There’s a lot of people, and we believe that we can fill in those positions that we are really looking for. This is going to be a big help especially now with the upcoming touchback…I’m sure that we can find people that will be able to fill those positions that we’ll be losing.”

Yvonne Somol, Naven Santos, and Nicole Meyers were three separate individuals among many, who joined the event looking for opportunities. Each shared with Saipan Tribune their experience. Somol shared that for her the event was definitely helpful, especially as she had gone to the event unsure if they were looking for more experienced and qualified individuals. For Meyers, she shared that she had gone to the fair searching not only for new work opportunities, but also to see what other fields peeked her interest.

Twenty year old Naven Santos shared “I was really looking forward to this…” The resident of Chinatown, shared that he had come pretty open to any job opportunities available, but as he completed the fair, he was happy that he found several vacancies that he was interested in “All in all it was great experience.” Said Santos. When asked what his message to DOL would be he shared “Keep it going, and keep the CNMI employed.”

Giving credit to the team Staffler shared that she was “Proud of the hard work that the Department of Labor Team has put together to make this an unforgettable event, and it also just really marks the need for building up our workforce…There is work, we just have to connect the dots a little bit for our people.”