ACG wants to open hospitality college on Tinian

Alter City Group is aiming to open a college on Tinian as part of their long-term goal of jumpstarting the economy of Saipan’s neighboring island. The planned college would offer four-year degree programs mainly in the hotel and tourism industry, the CNMI economy’s lifeblood.

ACG Holdings Limited of Macau president and board chair Ian Leong Kin said although they are still a young company they have a lot of plans and projects lined up for Tinian and the college is one of them aside from the $1.2-billion world class hotel, casino, and golf resort.

Kin is on Saipan and will fly to Tinian today to attend the groundbreaking ceremony of the Plumeria Resort at the Puntan Diablo Cove. ACG investors, CNMI government and Tinian officials, and other invited off-island guests and VIPs are expected to attend the ceremony.

Kin said they would like to create more job opportunities and increase the talent of the local workforce. And opening up a college is one way for the younger generation to have an option of staying here and no longer leave their families to work in the mainland.

“That’s why we’re planning of building a college where the curriculum and courses will be mainly in the tourism and hospitality industry. For the younger generation to stay and work here and to also support the local tourism industry,” said Kin through an interpreter.

He added that this is part of their long-term investment for the island and its people. Hotel and restaurant management, culinary arts, tour guides, events planning, and translators are some of the jobs in the hospitality and tourism industries.

“We want to enhance the development and growth of Tinian, to give the local workforce more job opportunities and improve Tinian’s economy. That’s why we’re honored and pleased by the support of the CNMI government, especially Tinian officials, have given us,” said Kin.

The faculty and instructors of the planned college will be composed of people who worked and have experience in the hospitality, hotel, and tourism industries. Their partners in the United States will accredit all courses that will be offered.

ACG chief executive officer Edvon Sze added that they are also looking at using the existing facilities of the Northern Marianas College’s Tinian campus. “We’re going to help fund and support the NMC and one of our options there is to use the same facilities.”

Sze said they are carefully planning their every step especially for the planned college. “From the educational materials, faculty, and staff. We want everything to go as planned since this is a lifelong process.”

“We want to have top caliber education offered in the college where students from other Asian countries would come and study here and no longer go to the mainland,” said Sze, who added that they also want local students who would finish their courses to stay and work in the CNMI.

“Once they finish the courses, they work here and help promote the CNMI as a tourist destination like Hawaii, where the hospitality industry is also a major part of the local economy.”