Federal funds for job training could raise skillset of Hawaii’s workforce

There are a few ways to get more money.

You can work a lot of hours, maybe get a second job.

You can try your luck at gambling (but since gambling is illegal in Hawaii — and besides the odds being stacked against you, we don’t recommend this one).

You can borrow money, but that, too, ends up costing more than it was probably worth.

Or, you can increase your skills. Go to trade school. Go to college. Work your way up the ladder at your company. 

When you develop new skills, when you add to your resume and make yourself more valuable to employers, you are headed in the right direction.

That’s why we’re glad to see that nearly $10 million in federal funding was awarded to community colleges across Hawaii. The Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training competitive grant program, co-administered by the U.S. Department of Labor and U.S. Department of Education, will help support job-training programs at seven colleges in Hawaii, including Kauai Community College.

Funding will be used to hire or train instructors to expand their capacity to offer in-demand courses or certifications, leverage online learning, develop new curricula and training models, purchase new equipment to ensure students train on what employers actually use, and solicit feedback from local employers.

This is the fourth and final installment of the $2 billion initiative aimed at creating and supporting new job training partnerships between community colleges, local businesses, and state workforce training systems.

Over the last four years, the U.S. Department of Labor has invested more than $52 million in Hawaii. This is money well spent.

A strong, skilled workforce is an invaluable asset, for the state and for those who live here. During slow economic times, because the more talents you can offer, the more diversified you are, the more likely you’ll keep your job.

“One of the best ways to grow our local economy is to invest in programs that will give Hawaii’s workers the skills they need for the jobs of tomorrow,” Sen. Brian Schatz said. “The $10 million in federal funding will help community colleges offer new, in-demand courses focused on information technology and health care, giving Hawaii’s students new career opportunities and a better shot at success.”

Likewise from Sen. Mazie K. Hirono.

“By the time this year’s freshman are ready to graduate high school in 2018, estimates show that two-thirds of the jobs in Hawaii will require education or training beyond a high school diploma,” Hirono said. “Hawaii’s community colleges provide an important option to prepare Hawaii students for higher-skilled jobs in fields like information technology, cybersecurity, and health care. The Department of Labor’s investment in the U.H. Community College Consortium’s efforts is moving Hawaii toward a more secure and sustainable economic future.”

Don’t leave your earning power to chance. Learn all you can. Develop new skills. Take on new responsibilities. Step out of your comfort zone. It’s not easy, but it will paid off in the years ahead.