Trades school being organized

A group led by businessman Anthony Pellegrino wants to establish a trades school that will train local residents on how to become carpenters, electricians, and plumbers, among other jobs.

Called the Marianas Trades Institute, the school will be a non-profit entity and will be organized starting next month to train local residents to become skilled tradesmen.

“As the nonresident labor force slowly returns to its respective countries, a dire need arises to have our local workforce fill the vacancies. It is expected that the first classes will begin in July 2008,” according to the group.

The courses will be open to males and females, but each student must be at least 18 years old. Upon graduation from the trades institute, the student will be fully qualified to enter the trade of his choice as a skilled tradesman and earn a high paying salary.

Setup costs for Marianas Trades Institute is $100,000, which is expected to cover salaries of instructors employed on contract on a part-time basis and to purchase materials to be used in the classrooms.

According to the group, all students will enter an apprenticeship program lasting several years depending on the trade selected and the time required to complete the course.

As each student progresses in his studies, he will be tested and graded before he moves up to the next level.

All students selected must be working. If they are not employed, Marianas Trades Institute will help find them a job while attending school. The group said the job need not be in the respective trade selected “though it would be wise to have one in that trade.”

During the day, students at Marianas Trades Institute will work and in the evening will attend classes at least two nights a week.

Each evening class will run for two and a half hours for a total of five hours per week. “In this manner the student learns on the job. In the evening, he studies the academic portion of his trade under a professional instructor in a classroom,” the group said.

The group said no prior qualifications are required such as high school diploma or age for students wanting to enroll. “The only requisite is a strong desire to learn a skilled trade. Students will pay a modest tuition and book fee for each segment of the training.”