{"id":393777,"date":"2023-06-14T06:05:34","date_gmt":"2023-06-13T20:05:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/?p=393777"},"modified":"2023-06-14T06:05:34","modified_gmt":"2023-06-13T20:05:34","slug":"cw-1-survey-data-needed-to-fill-gaps-in-cnmi-workforce","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/cw-1-survey-data-needed-to-fill-gaps-in-cnmi-workforce\/","title":{"rendered":"CW-1 survey data needed to fill gaps in CNMI workforce"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>
Leila Staffler<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

With an impending temporary loss of what\u2019s expected to be a large chunk of the CNMI\u2019s workforce, the CNMI Department of Labor is urging the business community to take part in its ongoing CW-1 survey that\u2019s meant to measure the impact of the looming implementation of the \u201ctouchback\u201d provision.<\/p>\n

So far, as of yesterday, nearly 20 businesses have already responded to the CW-1 assessment survey, which was launched last week, according to CNMI Labor Secretary Leila Staffler.<\/p>\n

Although she thinks the number is a good start, Staffler is urging more CNMI businesses who employ foreign workers to fill out the survey to give DOL an idea of how it can fill in the gaps in the CNMI workforce once the \u201ctouchback\u201d provision is enforced in September.<\/p>\n

Touchback refers to the requirement for foreign workers to leave the CNMI before their work visas could be renewed for a third consecutive time. That departure requirement also means they will have to stay away until a new permit is approved, which could take months.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe survey is intended for any business owner who employs CWs or other visa type workers, because we\u2019re interested in understanding how many visa type workers are out there. That\u2019s information we don\u2019t actually collect. So this is our effort to communicate with businesses directly so that we can understand how this new touchback policy affects them. It will also help us see how we can improve or increase our services as a Department of Labor to help the gaps with U.S. workers, if at all possible,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Staffler said DOL wants to help fill these gaps with U.S. workers so DOL encourages as many businesses as possible to take part in the survey in the next four weeks so that DOL can respond to their labor needs.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t have a closing date just yet, but any data that we collect will really help us decide what our next steps will be. I would ideally like as many responses as I can get in the next two to four weeks. It\u2019s already June. When I look at the data submissions so far, I can see that September is going to be a huge area of need because many of the renewal dates are in the month of September. That means a lot of workforce gaps will be happening in September. Knowing exactly how many [will be affected] will help us plan a job fair in August because July is next month and we need to move already,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Fortunately, Staffler said, the CNMI has good training programs and facilities on island that are able to train locals to perform specific trade skills that have needed to be outsourced through foreign workers who may now have to leave due to the new touchback provision.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe do see there\u2019s a gap with transition of workers between getting training and actually getting placed in jobs so we want to help bridge those gaps. We definitely have good systems here in the CNMI that do the training and we want to help people\u2026get placed in jobs that would otherwise go to someone else who isn\u2019t able to stay because they have to leave,\u201d Staffler said.<\/p>\n

Overall, Staffler said, the survey is important in balancing DOL\u2019s responsibility of enforcing laws regarding workforce preference for U.S. workers, while also collecting data that would paint a clearer picture of how much the CNMI still needs foreign workers, like those under the CW-1 visa program, to bridge the gap in its workforce.<\/p>\n

\u201cDOL is tasked with enforcing the laws that all should revolve around workforce preference for U.S. citizens and so, in a sense, we have to be able to balance that responsibility. So it\u2019s hard for us to answer the questions about non-citizens when we don\u2019t actually have that information,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople with economic interest wanted to know this data and we do not actually know this data. This is beyond the scope of what DOL for the CNMI is enabled to do because all CW applications are approved outside of our system so that information is not actually directly shared with us,\u201d Staffler added.<\/p>\n

Ultimately, Staffler said, DOL just wants to help keep the CNMI afloat during these times.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t have control over this law and only Congress can change any of those provisions, so we just want to be able to react in an appropriate way to maintain our workforce needs for our businesses and hopefully keep our economy afloat. We created this survey because there were so many people in the community asking DOL about this data because the economy relies on this type of changes,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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