Building the CNMI’s Skilled Workforce
On Wednesday, I met with the Northern Marianas Technical Institute (NMTech) to discuss workforce and technical education priorities in the CNMI. We talked about CW-1 touchback challenges affecting ongoing disaster recovery projects and ways to strengthen our local skilled workforce. We also discussed NMTech’s campus development, federal accreditation efforts, and opportunities for veterans to use eligible education benefits. The importance of S.B. 24-47 was also brought to my attention. The bill is currently before the House Committee on Commerce and, if passed, would establish a CNMI contractor licensing system. S.B. 24-47 makes sense and complements federal efforts and resources aimed at supporting the training and advancement of U.S. workers in our labor force. If we want to grow our local workforce in the construction trades, raising industry standards and creating greater collaboration between the industry and the institutions training our workers is a great place to start. Thank you to the NMTech team for taking the time to sit down with me and for the work you continue doing to build opportunities for our people here at home.