LIHU‘E — One of the groups that I serve on as a volunteer is the Kaua‘i Workforce Investment Board. The board’s goal is to assist in the development and implementation of workforce activities. The board is a result of the
LIHU‘E — One of the groups that I serve on as a volunteer is the Kaua‘i Workforce Investment Board. The board’s goal is to assist in the development and implementation of workforce activities. The board is a result of the Workforce Investment Act signed into law in 1998.
The legislative intent of this law is to stimulate a local community’s “strategic redevelopment and improvement of local workforce systems.” As a former educator in workforce training programs, I’m especially aware of the importance of making sure that in this current economic cycle, we help guide the county in the vision and delivery of federal stimulus funds that will be spent wisely and strategically for the good of our community.
A short-term investment in people for the long-term benefits of Kaua‘i’s economy. Now more than ever, when people in our community need jobs and/or retraining, we really need to invest in our friends, neighbors, co-workers and even former co-workers. During this recession, training budgets tend to be cut.
Quite understandable, given decreasing revenue for almost any business. In a booming economy, sometimes people are too busy to take time off for training. The past few years, a lot worse was the shortage of workers that resulted in a business sometimes unable to have employees take time off from work due to staff shortages.
I try to take a contrarian view and focus on downtimes as opportunities, remain realistic, stay focused and remain positive — experience I gained early on in my higher education career as a “just-out-of-college” 22-year-old Program Director.
This Board of 22 busy and committed professionals from various sectors of the economy, including BASF (corn seed company), Kaua‘i Community Federal Credit Union, Belles Graham Proudfoot Wilson & Chun, Kaua‘i Community College, Kaua‘i Coffee Company, Macy’s, nonprofits and state agencies, meet to discuss programs and “what else we can do for Kaua‘i” throughout the year (monthly & bi-monthly) as business, community, government representatives.
During the summer of 2008, the group met to discuss a strategic plan that took into account the county’s Economic Development Plan that focuses on six industries as “clusters,” including: Sports & Recreation, High Technology, Health and Wellness, Arts and Culture, Renewable Energy, and Food and Agriculture.
We’re looking at ways to make sure that Kaua‘i’s present and future workforce needs are in alignment in order that our youth will have a job, career and place to live on Kauai and continue your good work as residents of Kaua‘i. An outcome of the strategic plan was the development of goals and strategies that the board members recently volunteered for as members of committees to look at and work towards our common vision of creating job, career and training opportunities for people of all ages on Kaua‘i.
One of five committee efforts will focus on workforce housing, a critical component for our youth and everyone’s ability to live, work and, yes, even play/enjoy Kaua‘i. After all — isn’t that why life is mostly about (add in meaningfulness, joyfulness, etc.). I’m encouraged by the county and state’s commitment to build housing that we all know is sorely needed.
Another committee’s efforts will review how resources, programs and initiatives are strategically developed and leveraged using federal and state funds. With more than $2 million dollars being injected into the state’s workforce system, the board will be making every effort to insure Kauai gets its share of the federal Stimulus funds. A strategic time as my counterpart at the State Chamber of Commerce is also the Chair of the O‘ahu WIB.
Another area that the board is working on is helping the Workwise! Office of the State Department of Labor & Industrial Relations — Workforce Development Division to assist in acquiring additional staffing to help the team that has seen their caseloads continue to increase on a weekly basis due to more and more Kaua‘i residents being laid off from their jobs, and who are seeking employment assistance.
A sign to me that Kaua‘i people will not wait for a job to happen. These 199 unemployed friends, neighbors and former coworkers who are the 7.7 percent of the unemployed on island are now (unfortunately!) equal to the national unemployment rate for the past week (we’re right behind Michigan, which is having more than its share of auto industry problems — the future of the auto industry is a stake).
As a board, we’ll create a dashboard with metrics (report card!) that will let you know how we’re doing and it will soon be available on the county’s Web site — www.kauai.gov/Business/OED.
If you have some spare time, consider volunteering as a Board of Director and or a Committee member. Non-profits really need your help at a time of declining revenue, not only your donations but, your time and talent. Think about what the Hawai‘i Hotel & Lodging Association, American Cancer Society, YWCA, Kaua‘i Foodbank and other non-profits are doing for your community. Give back what you can. Aloha.
• Randy Francisco is president of the Kaua‘i Chamber of Commerce. He can be reached at randall@kauaichamber.org
