KELLY LORENNIJ
Job Corps trainees are back on island for seasonal rest and recreation. However, the National Training Center (NTC) asked them for one business meeting two days shy of New Year’s Day.
NTC’s mandate is to provide education and vocational training for Marshallese youth. It has ensured that its trainees become comfortable with skills such as public speaking and presentation, which was proven by Maui Job Corps graduate Emlin Helkena who spoke of her challenges and fun experiences to her juniors. “During the eleven months I was away, I learned how to live independently and tried my utmost to get my certificate; my mantra was ‘enij toprak,’ I can do it. I was married, I had a family when I started in 2016 — now I’m stronger for having left them,” Helkena said.
Special guests included Board of Directors Chairman Carlos Domnick and the Public Service Commission Assistant Commissioner Kenneth Anitok. The program included presentations on climate change and human trafficking from OEPPC and the Attorney General’s Office.
NTC Director Allison Nashion explained the agreement that ties the Council and Job Corps and ensures an internship program for each Job Corps trainee. Under the agreement, NTC secures a three-month internship for its graduates, with financial support, with agencies or businesses in line with the Job Corps graduate’s trade.
Read more about this in the January 5, 2018 edition of the Marshall Islands Journal.