UH Community Colleges to offer new job training courses for Maui residents

Starting this summer, there will be additional free summer job training courses available for Maui residents through the Good Jobs Hawaiʻi initiative. These free short-term trainings will provide opportunities for people to upskill and earn industry credentials in the healthcare, skilled trades and technology industries. Applications are now available through the Good Jobs Hawaiʻi website. 

“I became a certified Pharmacy Technician after completing a training at UH Maui College,” said Good Jobs student Ethan Kunioka in a university press release. “My instructor Dr. Valerie Matsunaga provided a lot of support to her students, and the class was a good way to start a career in pharmacy.”

A variety of online and in-person trainings of different durations are being offered from May through August and include: Pharmacy Technician, Phlebotomy Technician, and Registered Behavior Technician in the healthcare sector; IT courses including CyberSecurity, Amazon Web Services certifications, and Database System and SQL; and courses such as Carpenter Pre-Apprenticeship, Introduction to Advanced Manufacturing, and Introduction to Automotive Technology in the skilled trades—with all trainings leading to employment, paid internships, and apprenticeship pathways.

“I enrolled in the Carpenter Pre-Apprenticeship training to support my education and career goals,” said student Damien Tabon-Timbol. “I would definitely recommend the program to others because it helped me start my path to becoming a carpenter with pre-apprenticeship training and an internship at Viking Construction.”

“These summer trainings are excellent opportunities for graduating high school seniors to try a college-level course at no cost while gaining valuable skills in high-demand industries that can lead to immediate employment,” said Dan Doerger, director of Workforce Innovation at UH Community Colleges in the release. “Students interested in pursuing a degree or additional credentials after completing a summer training can also apply for additional funding to help them advance in their chosen college and career pathway.”

More than $3 million in funding from the US Department of Education is available for tuition this year. Eligible applicants receive tuition assistance for courses and other training costs such as books and industry certification exam fees.

The program is free for most eligible participants, since many of the trainings provide a 100% tuition subsidy to cover all costs. Wrap-around services are also offered to students including college and career advising, referrals to community partners with supportive services, and other financial assistance.

Financial support was provided by the US Department of Education federal grant #V425G200038, Reimagining Workforce Preparation: Hana Career Pathways, in the amount of $13,370,383 for the period of Oct. 1, 2020 to Sept. 29, 2023. Grants from the Ascendium Education Group, Hawaiʻi Community Foundation and the Harold K.L. Castle Foundation support the UH Community Colleges’ coordination with industry partners in targeted sectors identified as recession-resilient in Hawaiʻi‘s Talent Roadmap to Recovery, issued by the Hawaiʻi Executive Collaborative.