FSM seeks to revitalize vocational education through WB-funded program
By Pacific Island Times News Staff
The Federated States of Micronesia is piloting a World Bank-funded program aimed at revitalizing the nation’s vocational education to help build a skilled workforce and create job opportunities for young Micronesians.
President Wesley Simina led the Oct. 14 opening of the FSM’s Skills Certification
Unit at the College Micronesia in Pohnpei, officially launching the Skills and Employability Enhancement project.
The Skills Certification Unit, which establishes a national mechanism to assess and recognize occupational skills, began the pilot implementation, with the first round of testing scheduled from Oct.19 to 23.
The first batch comprises 45 college graduates across five occupational areas: computer repair and support, residential electrical work, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning, consumer electronics servicing and telecommunications.
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According to a press release from the FSM government, “the initiative provides eligible candidates with a pathway to demonstrate their competencies against established standards, supporting employment opportunities and helping employers identify qualified workers.”
According to the World Bank’s abstract, the project aims to expand employment search assistance services in the FSM.
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“Over the next five years, the SEE project will provide financial and technical support to Kosrae, Pohnpei, Chuuk, and Yap, with the goal of improving the accessibility, quality and relevance of vocational education, skills training and employability opportunities for the nation’s youth,” the World Bank said.
Simina highlighted the initiative as one of several programs aimed at supporting employment opportunities for young people and citizens across the FSM.
In a May 2026 report, the U.S. Government Accountability Office noted that the FSM’s population has dropped sharply over the past decade as thousands of residents leave for better jobs, education and health care abroad, creating labor shortages in the nation.
The report found that the FSM’s population fell 26 percent between the 2010 and 2023 censuses, dropping from 102,843 to 75,817.
“Few jobs are available in the outer islands, and full-time opportunities are usually limited to teacher or health-assistant positions,” states the GAO report.
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In his remarks during the project’s launch, Simina underscored the importance of helping citizens gain the skills and qualifications needed to enter the workforce and advance in their careers.
The FSM government said the new program provides a pathway for skills certification that can help link qualified workers with employers.
"Continued engagement with the private sector will help ensure that certification supports workforce needs and national development priorities." the FSM government said.
The initiative is being implemented through collaboration among the National Department of Education, the FSM Department of Resources and Development and College of Micronesia-FSM.
Two additional pilot testing rounds are planned before the project concludes in June 2027. Additional certification areas planned include tourism and hospitality, agriculture, bookkeeping and skilled construction.
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