{"id":399383,"date":"2023-09-19T14:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-09-19T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/?p=399383"},"modified":"-0001-11-30T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"-0001-11-29T14:00:00","slug":"Hundreds-pack-DOL-s-2023-Job-Fair","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/Hundreds-pack-DOL-s-2023-Job-Fair\/","title":{"rendered":"Hundreds pack DOL\u2019s 2023 Job Fair"},"content":{"rendered":"

The CNMI Department of Labor saw one of the largest turnouts during the 2023 Job Fair, as hundreds of jobseekers flooded Crowne Plaza Resort Saipan in Garapan last Friday.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is only my first year, but team members who\u2019ve been here for 20-30 plus years said that this is one of the biggest crowds they\u2019ve ever experienced especially in the last three years,\u201d said Labor Secretary Leila Staffler.<\/p>\n

With crowds gathered outside the Hibiscus Hall nearly two hours before opening, the line was already snaking around the hotel to the opening of the Terrace Buffet when the event began at 9am.<\/p>\n

The queue continued throughout the morning as individuals lined up and hundreds packed the venue itself.<\/p>\n

Staffler shared that the amount of people that showed up at the event just goes to show people\u2019s genuine interest in looking for work.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s amazing the response from the community and I\u2019m just so grateful that we can put an event together that would help people possibly find their future work.\u201d<\/p>\n

Because of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services\u2019 touchback rule, this year\u2019s job fair was also doubly important for employers, according to Staffler.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s 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\u2019t have to worry about work visas and all kinds of stuff. But we do understand that there are some skillsets 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\u2019s a lot of growth to be had, but we have to do something. We can\u2019t just say we have a problem and not address it.\u201d<\/p>\n

She added that Labor is actually doing its best to align programs, so businesses can find the skilled workers they need.<\/p>\n

The 2023 Job Fair had 31 employers\/companies present and nine information booths on certification courses and programs.<\/p>\n

Triple J Saipan\u2019s Ana Olaes was excited about the turnout and hoped to eventually hire new employees from the event.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a successful event. There\u2019s 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\u2026I\u2019m sure that we can find people that will be able to fill those positions that we\u2019ll be losing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jobseekers Yvonne Somol, Naven Santos, and Nicole Meyers each shared with Saipan Tribune<\/em> their experience during the 2023 Job Fair.<\/p>\n

Somol said for her the event was definitely helpful, especially as she had gone to the job fair unsure if they were looking for experienced and qualified individuals.<\/p>\n

For Meyers, she said she had gone to the job fair looking not only for new work opportunities, but also to see what other fields piqued her interest.<\/p>\n

Santos, for his part, said he was pretty open to any job opportunities available, but after attending the job fair, he was happy that he found several vacancies that he was interested in. \u201cAll in all it was great experience,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Jobseekers line up outside Crowne Plaza Resort Saipan\u2019s Hibiscus Hall during the Department of Labor\u2019s 2023 Job Fair.<\/p>\n

-CHRYSTAL MARINO
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