For Immediate Release – November 4, 2022

Hagåtña, Guam – Governor Lou Leon Guerrero and Lt. Governor Josh Tenorio today signed a proclamation to recognize National Apprenticeship Week, noting that Guam remains among the top producers of registered apprentices in the nation per capita.

“Our apprenticeship programs work. We have shifted our people into better paying jobs, stable career paths, and industries that are in demand like construction, hospitality, automotive, ship repair, and retail. We are seeing the results of these programs in a declining unemployment rate and, as we announced yesterday, a rise in the Gross Domestic Product to 1.1%, which is a tremendous achievement from the previous year of -11.4%,” said Governor Leon Guerrero.

Through public-private investment and partnerships, there are approximately 630 active registered apprentices on Guam who earn income while learning skills from more than 50 occupations. Through the Guam Registered Apprenticeship Program (GRAP), $17 million in tax credits have gone to local businesses toward the salaries of apprentices who are trained into positions for which they may not otherwise qualify. On a yearly average, over 250 apprentices benefit from GRAP through more than 15 employers with those numbers trending upward.

“I want to recognize the leadership at the Guam Department of Labor (GDOL) and Guam Community College (GCC). Through this partnership, relevant registered apprenticeship programs have been developed very rapidly and have evolved over time to better suit the needs of our people and business community,” said Lt. Governor Tenorio. “The business sector has also been instrumental in transforming and elevating the careers of hundreds of people and protecting local jobs. I want to congratulate everyone for a job well done.”

National Apprenticeship Week is celebrated from November 14 to 20, 2022 and recognizes the work of registered apprentices, employers, schools, and apprenticeship program sponsors in providing and promoting career development across a growing variety of trades and industries. Participants are provided on-the-job training and classroom instruction.

“Now that the island is recovering from the pandemic, businesses are operating at normal hours, and people have returned to work, we plan to aggressively develop and expand these programs to more people, including our youth. The military buildup and the Administration’s success in securing record number H-2B laborers will result in increased funding to apprenticeship programs. We look forward to strengthening our partnerships with GCC and all our stakeholders,” said GDOL Director David Dell’Isola.

For more information or inquiries, contact the American Job Center at 671-475-7000/1 or visit dol.guam.gov.

For Immediate Release – December 30, 2022

Hagåtña, Guam – A student from Guam who is enrolled in the Hawaii Job Corps program in Maui is making an impression as an outstanding apprentice. Erulei Ngiralmuut was given an all-expenses paid trip to Washington, D.C. earlier this month to serve as a student representative at the Job Corps Leadership Summit. While in the nation’s capital, Ngiralmuut had the opportunity to meet with Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh, Deputy Secretary of Labor Julie Su, U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) Director of Job Corps Rachel Torres, and congressional representatives.

Ngiralmuut is following in the footsteps of fellow Guam native Anastasia Gschwend, who graduated from the Maui Campus and was accepted into the advanced culinary program at Treasure Island Job Corps in San Francisco. Gschwend’s dream is to open a food truck business when she returns to Guam.

Ngiralmuut graduated from the Maui Campus in May 2022 in basic culinary arts. She then completed a work-based learning internship at the Haliimaile General Store, one of Maui’s premiere restaurants operated by renowned chef Beverly Gannon. Like Gschwend, Ngiralmuut hopes to further her culinary arts education by attending Job Corps’ advanced culinary training program in San Francisco.

“I am so proud of Erulei for being an exceptional student and for representing Guam well. This is a well-deserved recognition for her hard work to advance her career and follow her dreams,” said Guam Department of Labor Director David Dell’Isola. “I also want to congratulate all the students from Guam who have taken steps to secure their futures with the Job Corps Program. Job Corps is an excellent program that provides students with free education and training in a career path of their choice. We have seen countless success stories from Guam and I continue to encourage students to explore the opportunities available to them through Job Corps.”

Job Corps Students from Guam

Dell’Isola met with two new student enrollees on December 28 to send them off to the Maui Campus. Nicolas Powell and Davely Chewek leave next week to Maui to begin their training courses. Powell will study business while Chewek plans to study culinary arts.

In November, Dell’Isola met with Gibson Ngiralmuut who is now studying construction at the Waimanalo Campus.

Job Corps

Job Corps is a tuition-free career training program that prepares eligible young people ages 16 through 24 for meaningful careers in various industries while attending classes off island with all expenses covered. Guam applicants must be 18 years old by the time they are accepted into the program. Room and board, basic medical care, transportation, meals, and stipends are all provided at no cost to the student. The program also helps students complete their high school education and provides transitional support services. Students are sent home during winter break for two weeks to be with their families with airfare covered.

In addition to the courses available at the Hawaii Job Corps centers, students may take advanced training courses in other Job Corps Centers nationwide if they show an aptitude in other fields of interest. Job Corps has over 40 different industry advanced training programs that range from Licensed Practical Nursing in Iowa or New York, to Security and Protective Services in Kentucky, Transportation and Communications in Los Angeles, Automotive Training in Utah, to Culinary Arts in San Francisco, and other training courses across the country.

For more information about the Job Corps Programs, or how to enroll, visit the American Job Center on the 3rd floor of GCIC Building, 414 W Soledad Ave in Hagåtña, call 671-475-7000/1, send an email to ajc.training@nulldol.guam.gov, or visit https://dol.guam.gov/employment-and-training/job-corps/.

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For Immediate Release – August 5, 2022

Hagåtña, Guam – The Guam Department of Labor’s (GDOL) Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) On-Site Consultation Program received high marks from Region IX OSHA Safety and Health Compliance Officer Eric Christensen during a two-day visit to Guam to conduct a biennial review of the local consultation office’s operations and practices.

Christensen examined the OSHA On-site Consultation Services case files and records and found them to be impeccable, well written, and organized, even noting that Guam is “the best in the region.” Christensen added that the OSHA On-site Consultation Team goes above and beyond to get the job done.

“We are truly humbled by Mr. Christensen’s performance review. It speaks volumes about the hard work and dedication our team has put into ensuring safety and health standards are always met in the workplace. Our OSHA consultation team is meticulous, knowledgeable, and competent, and their exemplary work deserves this type of recognition,” said GDOL Director David Dell’Isola. “I also want to recognize Governor Lou Leon Guerrero for her support and guidance. When I came back into office, the OSHA On-Site Consultation Services was in high-risk status. The Governor assisted us with our staffing needs, which allowed us to commit more resources and training to this program, and within a year we were removed from high-risk status, giving us better access to federal funding and grants.”

Christensen praised the OSHA On-site Consultation team and thanked them for identifying numerous potential worksite hazards, saying he has no doubt the Guam Team is “making a difference.” He expressed his full confidence in the team’s ability to continue to maintain the high standards they have set for the next OSHA Region IX Program Review.

To learn more about the OSHA On-site Consultation Services and the programs they offer, or for inquiries, please call 671-300-4620/18/17 or email osha.consultation@nulldol.guam.gov.

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For Immediate Release – August 1, 2022

Hagåtña, Guam – The deadline to submit an Application of Waiver of Overpayment from the department to consider waiving the collection that may be owed by recipients of Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) is today, August 1, 2022. Individuals are encouraged to submit their applications in person at the Guam Department of Labor office at the GCIC Building, 404 West Soledad Ave, 8^th Floor, Hagåtña.

PUA recipients should have received notification letters informing them of their total overpayment amount, how much is due, and how to make payments. The second part of the letter informs the individual that they may submit an Application of Waiver of Overpayment from the department. The notification letters listing the outstanding balance are necessary for individuals to be able to submit an Application of Waiver of Overpayment.

Applications of Waivers of Overpayment will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

Application forms are available online at dol.guam.gov and at the GDOL office at the GCIC Building in Hagåtña, 8^th Floor, 404 West Soledad Ave. Application forms may also be submitted via email to pua.waivers@nulldol.guam.gov.

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For Immediate Release – July 25, 2022

Hagåtña, Guam – In the month of July, the Guam Department of Labor (GDOL) approved over $850,000 in Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) waiver requests.

GDOL processed about $500,000 in PUA waivers two weeks ago, which were approved for individuals whose cases were adjudicated and Applications of Waiver of Overpayment were approved. Today, GDOL Director David Dell’Isola approved another $355,000 in PUA waiver requests.

GDOL would like to note that the recent malware attack on the PUA system and the hireguam.com website, which is maintained by a national vendor, has caused some minor disruption in processing of waiver requests.

“We continue to review waivers daily and have helped over a thousand people. Many of them will no longer have to worry about paying back the benefits they received from the government,” said Director Dell’Isola. “This means more money for gas, groceries, rent, medical bills, and other necessities.”

As a reminder, the new deadline to submit an Application of Waiver of Overpayment from the department to consider waiving the collection that may be owed by recipients of PUA is August 1, 2022. Applications will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

Application forms are available online at dol.guam.gov and at the Department of Labor office at the GCIC Building in Hagåtña, 8th Floor, 404 West Soledad Ave. Application forms may also be submitted via email to pua.waivers@nulldol.guam.gov.

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For Immediate Release – July 18, 2022

Hagåtña, Guam – The Guam Department of Labor (GDOL) has extended the deadline to submit an Application of Waiver of Overpayment from the department to consider waiving the collection that may be owed by recipients of Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA). The new deadline is now August 1, 2022.

PUA recipients should have received notification letters informing them of their total overpayment amount, how much is due, and how to make payments. The second part of the letter informs the individual that they may submit an Application of Waiver of Overpayment from the department. The notification letters listing the outstanding balance are necessary for individuals to be able to submit an Application of Waiver of Overpayment.

“Governor Lou Leon Guerrero has given us the green light to extend the deadline by a couple more weeks which gives us a chance to not only catch up but also give more people an opportunity to apply for waivers,” said Director David Dell’Isola. “Our staff have been very helpful so I encourage those with a letter to visit our office for guidance, which will improve their chances of approval.”

Applications of Waivers of Overpayment will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

Application forms are available online at dol.guam.gov and at the Department of Labor office at the GCIC Building in Hagåtña, 8th Floor, 404 West Soledad Ave. Application forms may also be submitted via email to pua.waivers@nulldol.guam.gov.

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