Authorization for Technical Education Program. The Public School System is hereby authorized to establish a technical education program at Marianas High School, Tinian High School and Rota High School, and may expand to other schools to meet the needs of the business community and the entire Commonwealth community. The program shall include: (a) The development of appropriate vocational and technical education curriculum, starting with tourism (hospitality industry), nursing assistant (allied health), and technology (Cisco CCNA Certification) and may expand to other programs upon availability of funds which shall include on-the job training for the last two years in the program; (b) Faculty training and development; (c) Identification of appropriate school sites, including schools in the First and Second Senatorial Districts, for future expansion of the technical education program; (d) The appropriate design and outfitting of such school sites, including those in the First and Second Senatorial Districts; (e) The identification of necessary collateral equipment, materials and supplies for schools in each senatorial district; (f) Student performance standards; (g) Procedures for information exchange and curriculum collaboration with the Northern Marianas College and other executive departments and agencies and with business organizations; (h) Inter-agency agreements with other executive departments and agencies to facilitate the establishment, operation and administration of the technical education program; (i) Designing the two-year on-the-job training to be equivalent to the two years of work experience required under the Nonresident Workers Act. (j) A monitoring mechanism to monitor effectiveness of the on-the job training throughout the two years and to continue monitoring the employment of students for the first two years after completion of or graduation from the program; (k) Assessment of appropriate compensation of students who complete the program and other vocational education programs from other PSS secondary schools, which shall not be lower than the federal minimum wage, while taking into consideration the prevailing wages of workers with comparable skills and experience in the CNMI, Guam, Hawaii, and in the mainland United States; (l) Design and develop a public education campaign; and (m) Submission of an annual written report on the program at the end of the calendar year to the presiding officers of the Legislature and the Governor. Source: PL 14-54, § 2.
Commission Comment: PL 14-54 was enacted on January 17, 2005, and contained, among other enactments, purpose, expenditure authority, severability, and savings clause provisions. The purpose provision stated: Section 1. Purpose. The purpose of this Act is to authorize the Public School System to establish a technical education program to gradually fulfill the mandate of the Nonresident Workers Act and to identify sources to adequately fund the program. This Act is based on the findings of a PSS feasibility study submitted to the House of Representatives on May 7, 2004, pursuant to House Resolution No. 144. See also 1 CMC § 2282, 3 CMC § 4424(c)(2), and 4 CMC § 1503(f) for related enactments included in PL 14-54. The Nonresident Workers Act is codified in 3 CMC § 4411 et seq.