LIHU’E — Hundreds of Kaua‘i job seekers showed up for the Kaua‘i Job Fair searching for jobs and career resources. The annual event, held yesterday morning at the Kaua‘i War Memorial Conventional Hall, featured more than 50 local employers and
LIHU’E — Hundreds of Kaua‘i job seekers showed up for the Kaua‘i Job Fair searching for jobs and career resources.
The annual event, held yesterday morning at the Kaua‘i War Memorial Conventional Hall, featured more than 50 local employers and agencies looking to hire employees and provide more information about certain fields.
According to Kaua‘i Chamber President Randy Francisco, many job seekers were “already working, but looking for something more than what they are currently doing.”
He added that while the tourism industry has faced ups and downs in hiring, he sees health, food and retail employers “want to be more cautious and smart” in hiring practices by focusing their searches on finding very specific skill sets from potential employees.
In order to learn specific skill sets, Francisco encourages job seekers to look at attending Kaua‘i Community College and to contact state programs, such as WorkWise Hawai’i, which offer training program incentives for people looking for jobs.
Youth often are caught in a struggle between having skills and training and being able to find jobs, according to Peggy Granda, site manager with Hawai’i About Face.
“We help kids who have challenges to get GEDs or get into school,” Granda said. Her staff assists young people with hands-on life skills and work readiness while sponsoring their first work experience. She encourages youth to be consistent, to remember their employment training and be serious about working as the current economy often has them competing against adults with degrees and other advanced education.
Trying to alleviate the stresses of the current economy, Community Outreach Worker June Muñoz from Ho‘ola Lahui Hawai‘i at the Kaua‘i Community Health Center was on hand at the job fair to help with providing low-cost health and wellness programs for families.
“We offer a sliding scale of services for medical, dental and behavioral health,” Muñoz said while handing out tiny steering paddles to encourage people to make better health decisions, leading to people becoming more prepared for work.
Overall, Kaua‘i employers at the job fair remain upbeat about the next year and changes to come. Annabelle Lee from the Grand Hyatt Kaua‘i Resort and Spa said they are looking for a full-time assistant room executive, a position which had to go unfilled in last year’s economy.
“2013 is supposed to be a busy year,” Lee said as she handed out a list of new jobs.
• Laurie Cicotello, business writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 257) or business@thegardenisland.com
