2,000 temp jobs available

The Workforce Investment Agency announced yesterday that it has recently been granted a $2-million grant that would be used for about 2,000 temporary jobs on Saipan, Rota, and Tinian.

According to WIA executive director Jesse Stein, funds through the National Emergency Grant was awarded to the Commonwealth on Oct. 8 and would be used to provide government agencies with temporary employees to address disaster-related issues resulting from Supertyphoon Chaba, including debris clean up, mitigation, and restoration. The CNMI applied for the grant on Sept. 10.

Stein said between 350 to 400 jobs on Rota, 250 to 300 on Tinian, and 1,200 to 1,300 on Saipan would be made available.

He said employment through the grant will last each employee six months or 1,040 hours. Employees will also be earning “federal wage” instead of the $3.50 normal wage featured through WIA. Stein, however, did not specify the hourly rate.

“It’s federal wage, and I’m not going to discuss wage until I get a good proclamation on our budget stream,” he said. [But] it’s not $3.50 an hour…I can guarantee that.”

Stein said Gov. Juan N. Babauta and Lt. Gov. Diego T. Benavente, through the WIA, are “working on securing additional funds” from the U.S. Department of Labor, citing that the granted funds are “not enough to suffice for providing effective and efficient government services to help out.”

Further, Stein said the program would be available only for citizens of the United States, Federated States of Micronesia or those with Immediate Relative status or green cards. Individuals who arrived on island after the typhoon would not be eligible.

Also, the program is intended only for unemployed individuals, either permanent or temporary. Individuals currently employed would not be granted a slot. Those currently employed who quit or resign from their posts would also not be granted slots through the program.

“I am advising those who are working already not to quit their jobs because, if you apply, you will be denied,” he said.

He said WIA, in collaboration with the Division of Employment Services of the Department of Labor, Immigration services, and the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation would all take part in ensuring eligibilities and qualifications.

Immigration would handle date of entry, DES would tackle certification of unemployed individuals, while OVR would address individuals with disabilities.

“This is open to people with disabilities. There are several that can work and we want them to have the same benefits and opportunities as everybody else,” Stein said. “We’re asking OVR to determine the capability of individuals, because this deals with manual and intensive labor and we don’t want to put somebody with a disability out there who might have some type of background that we don’t know about and they might injure themselves. We want to be really careful.”

Stein encourages the public to listen or read for further announcements from the media—newspaper, radio, and television—on the venue, as well as dates for applying.

He urges the public not to call the WIA as it would “hamper us in securing and getting the work done for this program.”