New program seeks to help US workers land jobs

  Local businesses are urged to support a non-profit program that will help U.S. eligible workers gain job-seeking skills that would help improve their chances of landing entry-level jobs.

Bridge Project was established last year but the concept was actually formed as early as 2008, according to founder Jim T. Arenovski.

Arenovski, who was guest speaker at yesterday’s Rotary Club of Saipan general membership meeting, said that Bridge Project is a free nine-course “guaranteed job interview program” funded by a grant from the Department of the Interior through the CNMI Department of Commerce.

The program is open to U.S. eligible workers of any age-whether high school students or displaced workers from the public and private sectors-who will be trained to get them “to the point where they could confidently conduct themselves in an interview.”

According to Arenovski, many U.S. eligible workers submit applications without identifying any skills or work references and still expect to get interviews. Some of them go to their interviews wearing shorts or even bring their babies with them for lack of a babysitter.

“These are not bad people or un-hirable people but it does put a negative light when it comes to the competitive nature of doing an interview,” said Arenovski. Bridge Project hopes to make these job applicants “impressive” and give them “a competitive advantage” that would land them a job.

The Bridge Project, Arenovski said, involves weekly or twice-a-week sessions that would train participants using various tools such as class instruction and videos, which are “not going to be academia.”

“This is business people talking to folks that want to get a job in the business. Classes will be practical and hands-on. We will use real-world experience for these folks to get them a real-world experience when they walk in the door for the interview,” explained Arenovski, who will serve as the program instructor. He added that there will be guest lecturers, depending on the course.

Arenovski, the Saipan Chamber of Commerce’s 2011 Businessperson of the Year, said the program will cover courses in writing cover letters and resumes, job-seeking and interview skills, communication skills, customer service, cultural diversity, and budgeting.

They will also conduct client assessment, as well as English and math skills to ensure that applicants are on the right track or need some extra course work.

“To have those skills under their pockets is going to give them a really sizeable amount of confidence to go into the interview,” said Arenovski. “But it’s not the catch-all. It’s not going to be everything for them.”

He pointed out that there will be a small screening among those who are interested to be part of the program as their target trainees is capped at 100. The program is scheduled to begin in the first week of March.

He revealed that the Bridge Project was prompted by Public Law 110-229 or the federalization law, which requires companies in the CNMI to zero out foreign labor to zero by 2014.

“That means we need to actively participate in getting more local or U.S. eligible workers into the workforce,” said Arenovski. “As employers, we need to get on that bandwagon. We need to make sure our youth and those displaced workers that are not so young can have an opportunity to have a job.”

Arenovski, president of Delta Management, said his company has been committed to hiring local workers “from day one.” His company operates several Shell stations on island.

Arenovski said he is working with Alfred Pangelinan, Employment Services director at the CNMI Department of Labor, in getting participants to join the program.

“No matter how you look at the numbers, you know there are opportunities for U.S. eligible workers to get into workforce,” he added.

To join Bridge Project or for more information, call 287-7037 or email deltamgt@pticom.com.