Hart: Trades courses at NMC hampered by lack of resources

After being criticized for not doing enough to train local residents for vocational jobs in advance of the 2019 expiration of the CW program, Northern Marianas College president Dr. Sharon Hart defended the community college by saying that lack of resources has always hindered NMC from offering these courses.

Hart was at the Senate yesterday morning for Michaela Sanchez’s public hearing for NMC Board of Regent member before Sen. Frank Cruz’s (R-Tinian) Executive Appointments and Government Investigation Committee.

Northern Marianas College president Dr. Sharon Hart, left, and regent nominee Michaela Sanchez listen to questions from members of the Senate’s Executive Appointments and Government Investigation Committee during yesterday’s public hearing at the Senate chamber. (Mark Rabago)

The veteran legislator, who will not be seeking re-election in the Nov. 4 polls, also directed Hart and NMC to do what it can to help the Northern Marianas Technical Institute, which is the only vocational school on the island.

“I think it all boils down to resources. NMC, as part of our vision and mission, is to be the provider of training that is needed by the workforce. It’s just unfortunate that we don’t have the resources we need in order to do it. There are over 400 occupations that right now are falling into CW workers and how do you train for all of them? You can’t!” said Hart in an interview with Saipan Tribune after the hearing.

The NMC president said the college has so far the done the best job based on the very limited resources the government has given it.

“We have to focus on the areas that we believe we can make the biggest difference. To move into these other trade courses and assisting NMTI would take additional resources. Those are very expensive operations,” she said, adding that NMC currently is focusing on accounting, education, and tourism and hospitality courses.

“Our programs lead to the workforce. It’s just not leading right now into what we call the construction trades. We’ve not going to those courses because they need resources. We would love to go in that direction and work with NMTI to do that but we don’t have it and that’s part of the challenge.”

Hart said having served as a dean before for industrial and technical programs, she knows they are always the most expensive programs because of all the technical equipment and supplies needed for students.

“The diesel program (diesel engine mechanics) alone costs $10,000 per student per year to train. At NMC, under the budget given us by the Legislature, we’re getting around $4,000 per student.”

For her part, Sanchez said she would continue working with her colleagues to ensure hat NMC provides its students the services they need.

She said she will work with other regents so more vocational and trades courses will be offered at NMC in the future. Same with partnering more effectively with NMTI “so residents will have training before 2019.”

The NMC Board of Regents is currently made up of Elizabeth Rechebei, William S. Torres, Juan T. Lizama, Malua T. Peter, Elaine Orilla, and chair Frank Rabauliman. Sanchez’s term recently expired and she was re-nominated by Gov. Eloy S. Inos.

NMC got $5.152 million under the fiscal year 2015 budget and of that figure $600,000 are from CW fees.