ASG initiates training through CARES Act funding for govt IT/ICT staff

 In a Mar. 12th memorandum to cabinet members, Gov. Lemanu Peleti Palepoi Sialega Mauga announced that ASG’s Commerce Department, through the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) supplemental federal CARES Act funding is planning the implementation of its Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Workforce Development Program.

In general, he said the initiative aims to provide professional development and training opportunities for the American Samoa Government workforce specifically within the IT/ICT fields to support growth of the industry.

“It is with this in mind” that the governor requested cabinet directors’ support in delivering this much-needed training of IT/ ICT staff. According to the governor, all training and courses “that we plan to pay for are completed online and as such we can complete remotely.”

He said that if a department allows for workforce and professional development during ASG hours, “this would be a worthy cause”.

He noted that each department, authority or agency must send the names of its dedicated IT staff, their contact information and their managers information so DOC can continue the planning phase.

“As we move forward, a great deal of focus will be placed on developing our ICT industry to generate jobs and economic opportunity for our territory,” the governor pointed out.  “These training programs will support our efforts to build capacity in this critical industry, especially as we continue to deal with the uncertainties of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Cabinet members were informed to forward the names of their agency representatives no later than Mar. 24th. And the contact person at DOC for details on the program is the Territorial Planner, Michael McDonald.