The CNMI has less than the average of having a 40 percent educated workforce, based on the results of a study commissioned by the Northern Marianas College.<\/p>\n
According to NMC president Dr. Sharon Y. Hart, the Commonwealth will have an extremely challenging time in reaching U.S. President Barrack Obama\u2019s goal of 60 percent. But the CNMI, Hart said, must proceed in this direction.<\/p>\n
Based on the study conducted by the National Center of Higher Education Management Systems, the CNMI\u2019s education attainment level by citizenship showed that there are far more non-U.S. citizens in the workforce that possess a bachelor\u2019s degree at 19.7 percent compared to U.S. citizens who have a bachelor\u2019s degree at only 12.9 percent.<\/p>\n
The study also found that U.S. citizens in the Commonwealth who obtained vocational certificates were at 4.8 percent versus the 10.6 percent non-U.S. citizens with the same vocational certificates.<\/p>\n
Among those who graduated high school, U.S. citizens on the islands posted a 47.6 percent level compared to non-U.S. citizens with 55.8 percent. <\/p>\n
The study was based on the 2010 Census data.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen the National Center of Higher Education Management Systems (through Dennis Jones) reviewed the CNMI in relation to the rest of the United States, he found that overall the CNMI ranks just below the 50th U.S. state as having adults equipped with postsecondary credentials. This should be very alarming to the CNMI, as it does not give us the economic edge to compete,\u201d Hart told Saipan Tribune yesterday.<\/p>\n
And, as the CNMI needs to replace the CW workforce in the future, this task becomes even more daunting, Hart said, especially as CW workers possess more bachelor\u2019s degrees than the CNMI\u2019s own local population base.\u00a0<\/p>\n
What is critical, Hart said, is that good-faith discussions must take place now with the business community and with government leaders. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe can positively impact and grow an educated workforce, but it will require that we all work together, develop a comprehensive educational plan for the future, and ensure adequate resources are made available to help us, from K to 16, to accomplish our education and training goals,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
She said that the CNMI must establish statewide goals that will enable stakeholders to focus time and resources on a common and committed effort. Supporting this initiative will get everybody on the same page whereby they can then set annual priorities, evaluate progress, and celebrate its coming successes.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll of this, in my opinion, is achievable. NMC has significant plans on how we are going to move forward on this. We are being extremely aggressive, but we need to be, because we are that \u2018engine for economic growth\u2019 in the CNMI. But, you can\u2019t run an engine when you are out of gas,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n
President Obama and his administration have set goals for an educated workforce that targets roughly 60 percent of Americans to earn college degrees and certificates by 2020 to regain international lead, compared with about 40 percent today. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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