DOLI says more locals referred to private employers

Despite the slowdown in the island’s economy, the Department of Labor and Immigration has been able to reduce unemployment among local residents with the implementation of a new system in the agency.

According to Alfred A. Pangelinan, director of Employment Services, registration in the job referral and placement program of DOLI shot up by 500 last year compared to 1998 with a total of 2,001 registered applicants.

“As we see an improvement, we expect things to get better this year since we were able to provide jobs seven times more in 1999 than in previous year,” he said.

In a move to assist those who failed to reach the sixth grade level find jobs, the Division of Employment has now adopted a new way to measure their skills in reading, writing and mathematics.

Those who fail the test system will get the necessary training to improve their skills with the help of the division, said Mr. Pangelinan. DOLI is trying to work out an agreement with the Northern Marianas College so that some local job seekers can enroll in the Adult Basic Education Program of the College.

The division was able to increase by 1,000 the number of people referred to various private companies on the island. Mr. Pangelinan estimated that there are some 33,000 people who are already employed or whose contracts are being renewed in the private sector. He also noted a big improvement in terms of their relationship with the private sector, which has been very cooperative in finding jobs for locals.

In providing jobs, the Division of Employment has emphasized the need for applicants to have adaptive and transferable skills, important qualities which the employers are looking for.

“They have to understand that these qualifications are important to employers because this would help them in accommodating additional workers,” he said.

Since the economic condition remains unstable, job applicants should be realistic in looking for jobs and corresponding salaries. Mr. Pangelinan has one advice to job seekers: accept a low salary first then work hard and climb that ladder.

Those local job seekers who visit companies that advertised job vacancy announcements but were told that the positions are no longer open because they have already renewed the contracts of their current employees must immediately report it to DOLI.