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Attao: NMC remains responsive to CNMI’s needs
The CNMI’s lone community college said it remains responsive to the needs of the islands.
Speaking at the Saipan Chamber of Commerce’s monthly general meeting at the Royal Taga Hall of Saipan World Resort yesterday, Northern Marianas College’s Administration and Resource Development dean David Attao presented the developments that they continue to pursue for the benefit of the community.
Attao showed the future employment needs of the island in terms of the top positions held by CW or foreign workers, citing data from the departments of Commerce and Labor.
In the top five are general and operations managers, waiters and waitresses, and accountants and auditors.
Through this, they pattern the college’s program to be able to produce workers that could eventually replace these workers after training.
The CW program will be phased out in 2019.
“NMC has been using this kind of data to create our programs,” Attao said.
“At one point in time, in the CNMI, we didn’t have any nurses. What we did, we created the nursing program. At one point in time, there were no teachers. What we did, we created the bachelor’s degree program,” he added.
As of spring 2015, 97 students are enrolled in their Bachelor of Science in Business Management program. They are expecting their first batch of graduates in spring of next year.
The college also offers various associate degrees and certificates in business, nursing, criminal justice, liberal arts and natural resource management. It also offers distance education and online learning.
According to NMC, more of their graduates are successfully finding jobs as well as successfully transferring from NMC to other colleges and universities. In 2012, job placement for their graduates went up from 72 percent to 89 percent, while transfers increased from 50 percent to 70 percent.
As a result, the islands are benefitting as well.
“More students from PSS are not going to the military, they’re not going off-island and they’re staying here and that’s good for the workforce,” he said.
