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NMTI classes undergoing accreditation review
Switch to online testing by Aug. 1
The trade courses being offered at the Northern Marianas Technical Institute is right now undergoing review, with the hope of securing accreditation from the National Construction Center for Education and Research.
According to NMTI interim chief executive Jodina Attao, Herbert “Bert” Johnston Jr., who is the education director of the Guam Contractors Association Trades Academy and an administrator for the NCCER, is on Saipan from July 19 to 22 to do a site visit. In those four days, Johnston will be reviewing a large portion of NMTI’s courses, doing an audit of NMTI’s student files, and training NMTI instructors on the NCCER’s online testing platform.
Attao shared details of Johnston’s visit during NMTI’s board of trustees special meeting last Thursday. She said Johnston will review NMTI’s electrical; welding; carpentry; masonry; plumbing; and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning courses. Attao also said last Thursday that NMTI’s automotive, culinary, and hotel and restaurant operations courses require accreditation from different accrediting bodies.
Later on Tuesday, Attao told Saipan Tribune that Johnston’s visit is “going great” so far, and explained that the NCCER— which used to conduct paper-based course testing for NMTI— will be transitioning to online testing effective Aug. 1, which is why Johnston will be training NMTI instructors on NCCER’s online testing platform.
The NCCER is a not-for-profit education foundation created in 1996 that provides course accreditation and testing services for thousands of trade schools and programs across the United States.
