Tuesday, October 27, 2009

FSM workers eyed for buildup

FSM workers eyed for buildup

Wednesday, 28 October 2009 00:42
by Therese Hart | Variety News Staff

AN HISTORIC strategic alliance agreement was signed yesterday afternoon between the Federated States of Micronesia President Emanuel Mori and Center for Micronesian Empowerment chairman Ansito Walter, a University of Guam professor and former governor of Chuuk state.

The alliance will facilitate the assimilation and integration of workers from Micronesia into Guam’s workforce with thousands of jobs that will become available over the military buildup period.

“We must make sure that employers look to the people of our region first and that our people are ready for that call. This alliance is extremely important because it will enable our young men and women to get the required training to give them the necessary skills to make them employable here in Guam and especially because of the military buildup,” said Mori.

CME is a non-governmental organization representing business, community leaders and government officials. Its purpose is to assess, assimilate, train and find employment for the residents of the region.

Mike Ghiglione, executive director of CME said the organization has established a working relationship with the Guam Contractors Association Trades Academy to make sure as many local and regional workers as possible are prepared for the jobs the military buildup will bring.

Mori said he anticipates recruiting approximately 5,000 young men and women interested in gaining valuable job skills not just for Guam, but also for work in Hawaii and the on the U.S. mainland.

The president said his people have migrated to these areas for lack of employment within FSM states.

Not all of the 5,000 potential recruits will come to Guam since many of them will be receiving training at the College of Micronesia in Pohnpei, currently gearing up for vocational training, said Mori.

After they’ve completed their training there, many are expected to travel to Guam and elsewhere to receive a higher level of training. On Guam, many will find this training at GCC and the Guam Contractors Association Trades Academy, said Mori.

The trades academy and GCC will be expanding its facilities to meet the growing demands of students who desire to obtain a trade in their schools.

In November, the launch of a landmark program will assist residents in the state of Kosrae to obtain training necessary to become productive members of Guam’s workforce.

The alliance agreement seeks to expand the program across all of Micronesia and hopes to attract a workforce from the region, as opposed to employing thousands of foreign workers.

This would allow Micronesia’s island nation states the opportunity to play a greater role in the military realignment and economic boom associated with the buildup.

“The services that CME provides are precisely what’s needed to allow the people of Micronesia to more fully participate in the military buildup. We intend to do all that we can to ensure that the employment needed for the buildup on Guam comes from the region we call Micronesia, within which Guam stands as our proud brother,” said the FSM president.

Tuition funding will come from various sources such as Department of Interior Funds as well as compact impact funds and federal financial aid programs provided at the trade schools.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

i signed up in oct. and am still waiting, whats up with this program.

Anonymous said...

This is part of a lucrative but legal scam funded by US taxpayers to funnel money into the pocket of Mike or Michael Ghiglione. He's a carpetbagger who recently arrived to Guam after working years in Tokyo with a failed headhunting business (look it up - dead links and everything). He's probably also looking to get recruiting kickbacks for all the trainees he manages to place.

Anonymous said...

It seems the URLs for two of Michael Ghiglione's last two businesses, "Executive Support International" & "Career Japan Center" in Tokyo, Japan are now stone-cold dead:

http://www.jobsjapan.net/
http://www.careerjapancenter.com/

There's something definitely not right about this guy...

Anonymous said...

Mike Ghiglione committed suicide (!) on June 29th 2011 by jumping from Bayview Hotel Guam:

http://tinyurl.com/guamsuicide
http://tinyurl.com/suicideguam

CME executive director’s death ruled a suicide

FRIDAY, 01 JULY 2011 00:59
BY ZITA Y. TAITANO | VARIETY NEWS STAFF

FRIENDS and family are mourning the sudden death of Mike Ghiglione, executive director of the Center for Micronesian Empowerment (CME).

Ghiglione was found dead Wednesday night in the parking lot of the Ohana Bayview Hotel in Tumon.

After an autopsy was performed yesterday afternoon, Medical Examiner Dr. Aurelio Espinola has reclassified the death of Ghiglione as a suicide.

Among those who were shocked at the news was Jay Merrill, chairman of the CME board.

Merrill said Ghiglione held the position for about two and a half years.

Although Ghiglione originally hails from Seattle, Merrill said his friend spent most of his life overseas in Japan where he owned a business and even published two books on the subject of recruiting Japanese nationals to work in American companies.

He adds Ghiglione was on sabbatical from his job in Japan when he took the job at the center.

Merrill said he has no idea why Ghiglione was at the Bayview hotel.

“The whole incident remains a mystery and we just don’t know,” said Merrill, who also noted Ghiglione didn’t exhibit any signs of stress.

“Mike was full of life,” he said. “He’s a very sweet man and a wonderful leader. It’s just tragic that he’s gone.”

Meanwhile, various sources told the Variety that Ghiglione was reportedly drinking before his death and that his vehicle smelled of alcohol. Witnesses at the scene also reported someone falling from an outside stairwell from one of the upper floors.

The last time Merrill saw Ghiglione was last Sunday during a graduation for students from Pohnpei. They also spoke on the phone on Tuesday about business pertaining to CME.

“He helped us transform CME to a very capable organization,” reflects Merrill. “He was an amazing counselor and trainer. He helped them learn and succeed in getting a job. That kind of skill and dedication is very rare. It’s a shattering loss for Guam and the people of the region.”

Ghiglione was in his late 50s and lived in Upper Tumon at the Horizon Apartments.

Ghiglione has no immediate family here on Guam. His father and sister are en route to Guam after hearing what happened. He has a girlfriend in Japan. Funeral arrangements will be announced at a later date pending the arrival of the family. (with reports from Matt Weiss)

Anonymous said...

I personally knew Mike and while his death is a tragedy, let it be known that Mike was a serial womanizer of the worst kind. I witnessed this first hand while in Japan where Mike and his band of womanizers would throw "international gatherings" with the express purpose of using women for sexual pleasure. Mike never grew out of this perverse lifestyle, so I am not surprised that his life ended in this manner.