County looks to ‘grow our own’

LIHUE — On Tuesday, a teacher-chaperone for the Waimea High School sophomores said, “We should grow our own.”

The group of 40 10th-grade students toured the County of Kauai facilities as a field trip to acquaint students with the variety of jobs and career opportunities available there.

Hosted by the Employee Council, the Waimea High School group is the second school group to visit the county for Career Day in less than a week. Last Friday, about 100 students visited the county for Career Day and witnessed the certificate presentations to visiting lifeguards from Okinawa as a bonus for their field trip.

“We can use women firefighters,” said Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami, who greeted the body following their stops at the Council Chamber, the Kauai Fire Department, the Department of Motor Vehicle, and the Solid Waste Department.

Kawakami talked to the students about the importance of women in the workplace and demonstrated his point by noting the women on his administrative team, including Reiko Matsuyama as the Managing Director, Sarah Blane as the Chief of Staff, Nalani Brun as the head of the Office of Economic Development, and the list goes on.

Randall Machado of Council Services said that in addition to the variety of employment opportunities ranging from entry-level positions to highly skilled positions, the county also offers internship positions, which allow students to gain experience and pay while attending school or deciding on which career path to choose.

Kaleo Carvalho, the mayor’s Director of First Impressions, said the visiting Menehume and Elsie Wilcox Elementary School students were not the mayor’s only engagement with young people.

Following the Waimea High School student visit, Mayor Kawakami was scheduled to meet with the Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School for story reading and discussions.