Guam – Acting Governor Dr. Mike Cruz has called on Senator Adolpho Palacios to hold a joint round table on creating training programs for Guam youth to enable them to take advantage of the employment opportunities created by the military buildup. Palacios is the Chairman of the Legislature’s Labor Committee.
Read Cruz’s letter to Palacios
In his letter, Acting Governor Cruz points out that the FEIS projected that the buildup will create a demand for skilled workers. It is estimated that 3,000 will be needed by the end of this year and 15,000 will be needed by 2015.
Although the Port Authority has established an apprenticeship program and the 28th Legislature “dramatically increased resources to the manpower development fund” by implementing the Passport to Work Program, Cruz writes that “we can and must do more.”
Cruz concludes that “togetther the Office of the Governor, the Legislature, industry leaders, GCC and DOE can work together to increase the number of skilled labor employees on Guam. Doing so,” he writes, “will build Guam up first and expand our middle class.”