NUKOLI‘I — The best time to look into a career might be before enrolling in higher education. John Constantino said the Kaua‘i Fair Planning Committee expected between 500 to 600 students participating in the Hawai‘i College and Career Fair, Monday
NUKOLI‘I — The best time to look into a career might be before enrolling in higher education.
John Constantino said the Kaua‘i Fair Planning Committee expected between 500 to 600 students participating in the Hawai‘i College and Career Fair, Monday at the Kaua‘i Beach Resort.
Constantino is one of the planning committee members who were kept busy greeting groups of students from four of Kaua‘i’s high schools as well as groups from the Kawaikini and Anahola charter schools.
In addition to the high school students, the fair attracted about three dozen students from Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School AVID program.
“These are seventh and eighth grade students who are here for exploratory exercises,” said Gail Thompson, the AVID advisor and instructor. “The students are expected to check out the offerings of Hawai‘i schools and at least one Mainland school, comparing tuition, financial aid, the Western Universities Institute program, and other data.”
Constantino, also a Kaua‘i Community College staff, said KCC continues to make a strong showing with six tables set aside at the fair to promote its programs.
Among some of its new programs, Tracy Hirano of the KCC Office of Continuing Education and Training said OCET has free classes being offered under the State Energy Sector Partnership and job training grant which covers Solar Photovoltaic Entry Level, Solar Photovoltaic Installer Training, Solar Photovoltaic Salesperson and Solar Thermal Installer.
“These classes are provided under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to help the state build its renewable energy and energy efficient industries,” Hirano said.
KCC had more good news as the two-year Carpentry Technology and Construction Academy is schedule to resume in the fall of 2012 with the addition of an Electrical Installations and Maintenance Technology program which will overlap with a Photovoltaic program, all scheduled to start in the fall of 2012.
“We want the students to stay home,” Constantino, a trade-technology counselor, said.
Taylor Shigemoto of the Kaua‘i Community Federal Credit Union said the Kaua‘i-based credit union was promoting its EdAccess private student loan program, new for this year’s fair. Information on this program is available by visiting the KCFCU website and clicking the appropriate link.
Another new service was being provided by the Pacific American Foundation whose counselors conducted on-site assessments for students in order to give students an idea of which jobs fit their character.
Established in 1993, the Pacific American Foundation is an educational non-profit organization which serves to improve the quality of life for Americans who trace their ancestry to the indigenous peoples of the Pacific Islands.
Visit www.thepaf.org for more information.
County spokeswoman Beth Tokioka said she was at the fair representing Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr., delivering welcoming remarks to the more than 80 vendors.
But Tokioka, the mother of Kaua‘i High School senior Pono Tokioka, said she extended her stay to inquire about and get information from the different schools and the accommodations they provide for handicapped people.
