Hundreds attend NMC Career Fair

About 400 jobseekers attended yesterday’s Northern Marianas College Career Fair.
According to NMC career services manager Neda Deleon Guerrero, 20 businesses and government agencies participated in the event to meet with potential job applicants and to promote career opportunities.

“We are extremely happy with the turnout this year,” Deleon Guerrero said. “Thank you to all the businesses, offices and organizations that participated in this year’s Career Fair.”

The Commonwealth Office of Transit Authority also provided 22 jobseekers free rides to and from the college.

“We got their contacts, number, and location of where they live so if they get hired for the jobs that they found at the Career Fair, we can provide transportation for them,” said special assistant for public transportation Thomas Camacho.

COTA also put up a booth at the Career Fair to look for potential hires.

“Prior to the launching of the Fixed-Flex Route System, we will need at least 20 to 21 transit operators with one transit supervisor. They will also require training,” Camacho said.

The CNMI Head Start Program under the Public School System was seeking potential applicants for classroom teachers on Saipan and instructors for Tinian. One company, J.C. Tenorio Enterprises, had eight openings for Joeten outlets on Saipan.

NMC also had potential positions for jobseekers interested in program coordination and for a financial aid specialist. Duty Free Shoppers Saipan came looking for temporary sales associates, according to one of company’s representatives, Amanda Sablan.

“This was a great event,” Sablan said. “It was a good way to gather people who are looking for jobs and it’s also good way to show the opportunities available.”

Tyce Mister, program coordinator for Marianas High School’s Cooperative Education and Training program, was pleased with the turnout.

“I want to thank NMC for hosting this wonderful event for our students and the community. MHS Co-op students will be further exposed to future or potential jobs and maybe start up a dialogue with the employers here,” Mister said.

Allan Ocaya, 17, who is in 11th grade at MHS, said he was there to explore new opportunities and was interested in a job at DFS.

Another 11th grader at MHS, David Litulumar, 17, said, “I went to the career fair at Hyatt Regency Saipan and gained a lot of experience and wanted more so I came here.” He was interested in positions at NMC and PSS but due to the necessity of a degree, he opted for Hyatt and Pacific Islands Club.

Paul Mariano, a liberal arts major at NMC, said that he enjoyed the event. “It was easier walking around to different tables to see the companies rather than driving to each place,” he said.

In the past NMC held its annual career fair to mainly assist graduating students and graduates of NMC to find employment. It was later opened to other members of the community to benefit both employers and jobseekers.

Other employers that participated were Labor’s Employment Services and the Workforce Investment Agency, Hyatt Regency Saipan, Sorensen Media Group, CDI Workforce Development, Triple J Saipan, Office of Personnel Management, Marianas Health, Pacific Islands Club, Commonwealth Utilities Corp., CNMI Head Start Program, Public School System, YCO, Pacifica Insurance, Northern Marianas College Human Resources, College Access Challenge Grant, Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, and the Northern Marianas Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence.

The NMC Career Fair is supported by the College Access Challenge Grant program.