62 students enrolled in NMTEch’s spring sem

The Northern Marianas Technical Institute’s spring 2023 semester, which began last Jan. 17, has 62 enrollees for its seven trades courses—48 are new students and 12 are returning students.

To add to the list of courses in the spring semester is the expansion of its Culinary Arts program, which now offers Culinary Arts II.

“This is where the students will learn more about cooking techniques, be exposed to new recipes, and develop more understanding of the food industry,” said Ben Babauta, NMTech marketing and outreach coordinator.

The Welding Level 1 course is the most sought-after class this semester with 14 students and four students enrolled in the Welding Level 2 course.

In Carpentry Level 1, there are five students; Electrical Level 1 has 12 students; Electrical Level 2 has four students; Electrical Level 4 has four students; Automotive Technology has eight students; and Culinary Arts Level 1 has 12 students, while Culinary Arts Level 2 has five students.

Most courses will be completed by July 2023, while Welding has a longer time frame, with its cycle ending in October, which is a nine- to 10-month course.

NMTech also launched its Trading Up Program in partnership with the CNMI Public School System, which is a dual enrollment program designed for middle and high school students who are able to receive both PSS-school credit hours and a certification from NMTech upon completion.

“Students take the courses during school hours. Once the course is completed, they will take the exam, and if they pass the exam, they will receive a certification from either [National Center for Construction Education and Research] for construction, or [American Hotel and Lodging Educational Institute] for hospitality,” said Babauta.

According to Babauta, the Trading Up Program consists of students from Tanapag Middle School taking CORE—a prerequisite for any construction-related course at NMTech— and Da’ok Academy students who are enrolled in Construction Craft Laborer I course.

All construction programs are accredited by the NCCER and certifications obtained are nationally recognized.

For Hotel & Restaurant, Marianas High School, Kagman High School and Saipan Southern High School students are taking part in Trading Up: Hospitality courses. The Hospitality course is an AHLEI certification, which is recognized globally.

In-house scholarships are available for Construction Courses. Other scholarships such as CNMI Scholarship, SHEFA, and WIOA are accepted.

Check out their website at www.nmtechcnmi.org for more information, call (670) 235-6684, or visit their NMTech campus at Lower Base to learn more about how to enroll.