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Center for Micronesian Empowerment reports on Success of FSM Trainees in Guam

Palikir, Pohnpei (FSM Information Services): January 12, 2011 - The latest updates from the Center for Micronesian Empowerment (CME), based in Guam, are showing very positive outcomes for a majority of the trainee groups who have completed CME programs.

Effectively, of the 46 Kosraen trainees who took part in the 2010 CME programs, 33 are now working in full-time positions in Guam. Within that group, 22 are working in construction, with hourly wages ranging from $9.50 to $17.00; 12 of these same workers are earning more than $15.00 per hour. The remaining workers are employed in a variety of areas, including grounds maintenance and retail, earning hourly wages varying between $8.50 and $9.75.

In addition, for the time period from March through December 2010, it has been estimated that a total of approximately $110,000 has been wire-transferred back by this group to Kosrae. So even though the cost of training the 46 students amounted to $278,097, nearly half of that cost has already been pumped back into the economy of Kosrae.

CME reported equally encouraging results for the Chuukese trainees. Fifteen Chuukese trainees graduated on October 3, 2010, of which, 10 are now working full-time in the fields of construction, hospitality services and security. They are earning an average of $8.50 per hour, with time and a half paid on Saturdays. These workers have reported sending each an average of $352 per month back to Chuuk.

Another 12 Chuukese trainees, specialized in carpentry, are expected to graduate on January 27, 2011. This group will begin a two-week paid training period with a carpentry shop based in Guam on January 17, and upon successful completion of their program it is expected that they will all be working full-time for that same carpentry shop.

A third group of 12 trainees from Chuuk arrived in Guam on October 29, 2010. Two of them are already working full-time, and the carpentry shop mentioned earlier has expressed interest in hiring more full-time workers from this third group beginning on January 31.

"There is a dire shortage of people on Guam with carpentry skills," said Mike Ghiglione, Executive Director of CME, "and our decision to [create] training groups made up of people with basic carpentry skills has borne fruit."