11 students complete construction summer internship program on statewide projects

Eleven students graduated from the Hawaiʻi Carpenters Apprenticeship & Training Fund’s (HCATF) Career Connections summer internship program at the HCATF facility in Kapolei.  

The students, recent high school graduates or high school seniors, participated in a six-week paid summer internship at major construction projects across the state with signatory general contractors. They received their completion certificates on July 23, which allow them to advance in the trades’ profession, starting with direct entry into the Hawaiʻi Carpenters Apprenticeship & Training Fund apprenticeship program.  

Laurie Noneza, a McKinley High School senior, worked with general contractor Albert C. Kobayashi at the Iolani School Arrillaga Student Center during her internship.       

“I was interested in a career in the trades, and when I took the courses at school, I really enjoyed the work, so I enrolled in this program,” said Noneza. “It was hard work, and the program is fast paced, but you learn so much more than in the classroom. It’s like taking the AP version of a construction class.”   

Noneza will complete her senior year at McKinley High School and intends to join the HCATF apprenticeship program after she graduates.  

The HCATF Career Connections Summer Internship Program is now in its 7^th year and open to high school students who have completed their junior or senior years and taken the prerequisite classes offered at their high schools. Students are selected through an application process and placed with participating signatory contractors with the Hawaiʻi Regional Council of Carpenters. The program has become a crucial bridge, connecting the next generation to the skilled trades profession.  

“We’re so proud of the 11 graduates of this year’s summer internship program,” said Kapuni Patcho, HCATF training coordinator. “Every summer, we invite students from across our high school construction and carpentry classes to join the program, and it’s been so successful for the industry. These students gain first-hand experience of what it will be like if they pursue a career in the industry.” 

Since the program’s start in Hawaiʻi, 111 students have successfully graduated from the program and 67 of them got indentured as apprentices with the Hawaiʻi Regional Council of Carpenters. From this year’s cohort, four of the 11 students are planning to join the apprenticeship program.  

Contractors who partnered with HCATF for the program this year included: Albert C. Kobayashi, Bruce Matson Company, Edward & Sands Construction, Group Builders, Shioi Construction, and Swinerton. 

“This program could not be successful without the support of our contractors, who opened their doors to teach the next generation of construction workers. It’s critical for the industry to support programs like these so we can ensure a healthy pipeline of workers,” added Patcho.  

Career Connections launched in the fall of 2017 as a pilot program in three public schools: McKinley High School, Waiʻanae High School, and Kahuku High School. Currently, there are 32
partner schools: 19 on Oʻahu and 13 on the neighbor islands.

There are two main parts of the summer internship: First, 40 hours of preparatory training, including OSHA 10 and First Aid/CPR Certifications, material handling, and basic tool safety. This is followed by 6-week internship and full-time work at a real-world active construction worksites where they engage in real work tasks and earn a paycheck. Summer interns closely shadow mentors, including journeyworkers and other field supervisors, to better understand what a career in the construction industry entails.