BSI offers resident employment program

An artist’s rendition of the Imperial Pacific International (CNMI), LLC’s Grand Mariana Casino and Resort, which is set to open next year. Subsidiary Best Sunshine International, Ltd. is set to launch a program to train baccarat dealers to the soon-to-open property. (Contributed Photo)

Best Sunshine International, Ltd. will launch a unique and exciting opportunity for qualified individuals with no previous casino experience to acquire certified skills and be guaranteed employment within the company, the largest private sector employer in the CNMI.

The Baccarat Dealing Class, under the Resident Employment Program will incorporate a comprehensive training course which will outline baccarat gaming, general gaming procedures, Baccarat equipment and gaming rules, card shuffling rules and procedures, casino service standards, game security and protection, among others.

According to Bertha Leon Guerrero, Best Sunshine’s vice president of Human Resources, the Baccarat training program at Imperial Pacific International Academy starts on Sept 19.

Leon Guerrero said, “We put out an announcement indicating that we are accepting interested applicants who want to participate in this program. We initially put a deadline for the submission to register, but we reweighed that decision and removed that deadline to open it and invite anyone interested.”

The baccarat class will hold a maximum of 30 registrants and the program is for baccarat. Adding up to a total of 160 hours, classes are held at the 4th floor of Bank of Guam Bldg. at the Imperial Pacific Int’l. Academy, from 6pm to 10 pm with a 30-minute break in between; four hours a day, from Monday to Friday. The reason for the evening schedule is to allow flexibility and accommodation to college students or full-time workers who might consider a second opportunity at learning new skills at a more adaptable time.

“This training program is open to U.S. citizens,” affirmed Leon Guerrero. “We have to come up with ideas and methods to comply with the licensing requirement where we make sure we go through every effort in bringing in U.S. citizens to work. Our response is quite aggressive because our license requires 65 percent versus the regular statute that is 30 percent. Though we understand that we don’t have those skills right now, we are certainly doing something about it. So if we get asked, “What are you doing to make sure you have those skills prepared and all ready before you open your doors?” we are providing that great opportunity to build these skills throughout the local workforce. We’re starting with Baccarat classes and when these individuals succeed and pass the training, that’s a guarantee of employment into the company.”

Leon Guerrero added, “Of course, the training doesn’t stop there; there will be other table games such as Blackjack, etc., and when the applicants are in already they can continue to receive intensive coaching and learn new dealing skills. We start with baccarat initially because this is reputedly the most popular and the most played by our visitors, and the game of choice of the casino’s high rollers. Not only are we acknowledging the CCC requirement on the effort to boost the training of U.S. citizens and locals, but it’s also in compliance to the Department of Labor’s workforce plan. This is something we put together to show what we are doing for U.S. citizens to fill in the foreign CW positions. That’s what this whole program is all about.” (PR)