Interior lauds 19 employers for hiring 84 US eligible workers

Interior Assistant Secretary for Insular Affairs Tony Babauta recognized yesterday 19 CNMI employers for hiring 84 eligible U.S. workers as a result of a job fair that the CNMI Department of Commerce and the Interior co-hosted in October 2011.

During a ceremony in the governor’s conference room yesterday morning, Babauta named 12 employers that hired 46 workers. Representatives of these employers were at the ceremony.

A more up-to-date data from CNMI Commerce’s Mark Rabauliman, project coordinator for the Economic and Labor Enhancement Program, shows that there were actually 19 employers who were able to hire 84 workers as a result of the job fair.

Gov. Benigno R. Fitial and Commerce Secretary Sixto Igisomar, during the ceremony, also lauded these employers and thanked Interior. Also present at the event were other Interior and CNMI government officials.

Of the 19 employers, Sablan Topline hired the most number of workers, at 20, followed by Fiesta Resort & Spa with 10, Saipan Grand Hotel with nine, and Hafa Adai Hotel and YCO Corp. with six each.

Completing the list are Jet Holdings, five; Marianas Cable, MCV Broadband, Star Sands Plaza, World Resort Saipan and Younis Art Studio with three employees each; Hyatt Regency Saipan, R Corp., S.T.a.R. Water, Seafix Inc., and Triple J Enterprise with two employees each; and Good Day Saipan, GPPC, and Moylan’s Insurance with one employee each.

During the ceremony, Babauta also recognized representatives of the six non-governmental organizations that were recipients of the Economic Labor Enhancement Program sub-grant under the Interior’s technical assistance grant.

These NGOs are expected to expand and enhance “on-the-job training” and “job-readiness” to train U.S. eligible workers that include U.S. citizens, Freely Associated States citizens, and green card holders.

These groups include the CNMI Aquaculture Producers Association, $90,000; Saipan Sabalu Farmers Market Inc., $46,000; Marianas Resource Conservation and Development Council, $145,000; Northern Marianas Trade Institute, $143,000; Society for Human Resources Management, $102,000, and The Bridge Project, $60,000.

The amount awarded to these NGOs, a total of $586,000, is part of the Interior’s $1 million grant award to CNMI Commerce in July 2011.

The other $300,000 will be used to hire a CNMI economist.

Commerce’s Rabauliman said as of yesterday, the request for proposal for such an economist is still being drafted.