Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The American Samoa Government Employees' Retirement Fund (ASGERF) is partnering with the American Samoa Community College (ASCC) to offer computer training courses for 2,000 local residents, under the direction of Stratus Silver Lining, Inc., a company based in San Jose, CA

Sept. 1, 2019 is the tentative start date of the "computer programming and computer network workforce education and training" for the first 500 American Samoans — with a minimum 10th grade education level and a 'desire to learn' — who sign up.

500 more students will be enrolled three months thereafter, and so forth, until a total of 2,000 have been served.

The courses will be offered at the ASCC, under the direction of Stratus Silver Lining, Inc.

Upon successful completion of the program, each student will be eligible for a paid internship with one of the many Silicon Valley technology companies that have agreed to hire our people, said ASGERF executive director Iaulualo Faafetai Talia yesterday morning.

According to him, the Retirement Fund is in 'early discussions' with numerous Silicon Valley high tech companies and Norway technology companies to open offices and take licenses to access the Hawaiki cable, which the Retirement Fund has invested millions into.

"The revenues generated from these licenses will be used to fund the ASGERF Pension Fund," Iaulualo said. "ASTCA and ASGERF will share in the significant increase in revenues that are expected to be generated from these tech companies that the ASGERF brings into American Samoa and receive internet services from ASTCA."

The program is a year-long commitment to prepare participants for jobs that require skills in computer programming and computer networking.

Following the enrollment of the initial 2,000 participants, "we will evaluate the current program… to see how it can be modified or extended," said Iaulualo.

CEO and president of Stratus Silver Lining, Inc., Dr. Alok Sharma, has hired professors from the University of Wisconsin at Madison, and executives from various high tech companies who will be taking year-long sabbaticals, to teach the course.

The professors will be living in American Samoa for the duration of the year-long program and the ASCC will be providing 'teaching assistants' to work with the visiting group.

Upon successful completion of the program, participants will be eligible for paid internships with the companies in the Silicon Valley to gain practical experience. The internships will be at least six weeks long.

"Depending on the type of work the internships will provide, some internships will allow the American Samoa students to remain on island and work through the internet. Other internships will be in Silicon Valley at the company offices," Iaulualo explained.

The Stratus Silver Lining training will be applicable to all businesses that have a website, use computers, computer programming, including the government and media, Iaulualo continued.

The ASGERF has been able to negotiate a "deep discount" on the tuition for the course, which, according to Dr. Sharma, would easily cost $10,000 in the Silicon Valley. But for American Samoa, it will only cost $500 for the whole year.

The good news is, Iaulualo said they would try to negotiate a payment plan for those who cannot afford to cough up the entire amount up front. Also, "we are working with the American Samoa Global Technology, a non-profit organization, to raise the funds necessary to pay the full tuition for our people," Iaulualo announced yesterday during the press conference at the Centennial Building in Utulei.

Each student is required to have a laptop in order to take the course.

More on this program in tomorrow's edition of Samoa News.