Hawaii Carpenters Apprenticeship & Training Fund program graduates 25 students

Twenty-five students graduated recently from the Hawaii Carpenters Apprenticeship & Training Fund’s Career Connections program, a six-week construction internship program.

The students participated in a paid summer internship at major construction projects across the state with 10 general contractors. Recently, they received their completion certificates, which allow them to advance in the trades’ profession, starting with direct entry into the Hawaii Carpenters Apprenticeship & Training Fund apprenticeship program.

Makana Dayton, a 2024 graduate of Radford High School, worked with general contractor, Swinerton, for his internship and worked on various projects, including work at International Market Place, the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa and Waikiki Beachcomber. 

“I gained a lot of knowledge and experience from this program,” Dayton said. “It wasn’t easy, but it opened a lot of doors and experience for me. I’m hoping to stay in the trade and join the union, as I have a passion for this work. This program really gives you a taste of working in the real world and learning about this trade.”

Following graduation, Dayton will be able to enter the apprenticeship program directly and continue working with Swinerton.

This is the sixth year that the fund has offered the Career Connections Summer Internship Program to high school students. Students are selected through an application process and must complete prerequisite classes at their respective high schools. The program has become a crucial bridge, connecting the next generation to the skilled trades profession.

“Congratulations to our sixth group of students for completing this program,” said Kapuni Patcho, training coordinator. “This program has been incredibly successful for the union, the trades and the construction industry. It allows students the opportunity to gain hands-on experience exploring the viability of construction as a career, where they can earn a living wage while also gaining a life skill.”

Since the program’s start in Hawai’i, more than 100 students have successfully graduated from the program and 39 are current members of the Hawaii Regional Council of Carpenters.

Maui contractors who partnered with the fund for the program this year include: Artistic Builders, Albert C. Kobayashi and Shioi Construction. (Kobayashi and Shioi also operate on O’ahu. Other contractor participants were: Bruce Matson, Gill Construction, Group Builders, Hawaiian Dredging, Nordic PCL, Swinerton and Unlimited Construction.

Since the program’s inception, Career Connections students have worked on important projects across the state, including Hawaii’s first Amazon facility, Hawai’i State Veterans Home, and the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa’s mixed-use housing project. And this year, for the first time, Career Connections included a project on Lānaʻi.

Career Connections launched fall of 2017 as a pilot program in three public schools: McKinley High School, Waianae High School and Kahuku High School. Currently, there are 32 partner schools: 19 on O’ahu and 13 on Neighbor Islands.

There are two main parts of the summer internship: First, 40 hours of preparatory training, which includes occupational safety and first aid/CPR certifications, along with material handling and basic tool safety. This is followed by a six-week internship and full-time work at a real-world active construction worksites where interns engage in real work tasks and earn a paycheck. Summer interns closely shadow mentors including journeyworkers and other field supervisors to better understand a construction industry career.

To learn more, visit https://hicarpenterstraining.com/