SPECIAL TO TGI The Navy’s Pacific Missile Range Facility at Barking Sands is providing hands-on work opportunities for Kaua’i students this summer. The workforce, consisting of high school and college students, is something of a dream come true for both
SPECIAL TO TGI
The Navy’s Pacific Missile Range Facility at Barking Sands is providing hands-on work opportunities for Kaua’i students this summer.
The workforce, consisting of high school and college students, is something of a dream come true for both students and businesses. The students get a taste of what a real work situation is like, paycheck and all, and businesses benefit from the fresh manpower.
PMRF is one of Kaua’i’s largest employers. Because of its diverse jobs, ranging from groundskeeping to electrical engineering, students are readily matched to jobs on the base that relate to their fields of study or interest.
This year, 22 students from as close as Waimea High School and as far away as the University of Denver (Colorado) are working at PMRF for five to eight weeks.
Called the Student Summer Hire/Internship Program, the project offers summer employment to selected students from programs including Alu Like Inc., the Kaua’i County summer employment program, and the Kaua’i Community College Cooperative Education program.
Local high school students are learning “that there are a wide variety of jobs out here, ranging from clerical and food service to engineering and other high-tech specialties,” said Capt. Brian Moss, the base commanding officer.
“For those who go on to college, programs such as the KCC internship program show students that they don’t have to leave Kaua’i to get a good job,” Moss said. “For college and university students who are attending school on the mainland, this internship program lets them know that they can come back to Kaua’i and work in specialized or high-tech fields right here at PMRF.”
KCC’s Cooperative Education students earn academic credits for work in their field of study.
Kaua’i residents who are attending mainland colleges join students from the University of Hawaii’s Manoa and Hilo campuses.
College students working under U.S. Department of Defense government supervisors include University of Denver student and Kekaha resident Matthew Denny, who is assigned to theater ballistic missile defense at range operations. Denny is majoring in digital media studies and minoring in computer science.
Nathan Momohara, a University of Hawai’i-Manoa electrical engineering student, is also assigned to range operations.
Neil Young, a math and physics major at Whitman College in Walla Walla, Wash., has been assigned to the threat simulation branch of range operations. Young is from Lihu’e.
Yvette Dumbrique, who is from Hanama’ulu and studying electrical engineering at UH-Manoa, has been assigned to public works.
Students hired to ITT through the KCC’s Cooperative Education program include intern Kimberly Sato, an engineering student at UH-Manoa, who is working in systems engineering.
Hanapepe native Rene Nishikawa, who attends the University of Washington’s College of Architecture and Urban Planning, is assigned to ITT’s drafting department.
Other ITT summer hires include Bradley University multimedia major Jeffrey Denny, Oregon Institute of Technology computer engineering technology student Anson Lee, and UH-Hilo computer science major Gilbert Maerina. All are assigned to network and information systems.
Michael Torres, a Kekaha resident who attends the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Wash., is working with contractor High Technology Solutions.
The county summer hire program has also contributed to PMRF’s summer work force. Students are placed at various companies throughout Kaua’i for six weeks of full-time employment.
Return student-hire Lianne Manuel, a business major at Oregon State University, was hired through the county program and is working at ITT visitor control.
Adeline Mattos, a business major at UH-Manoa and a county hire, is working at the crash fire station.
PMRF utilizes Native Hawaiian students through the Alu Like employment and training program. Alu Like is a private, non-profit, community-based organization that serves Native Hawaiians.
Alu Like hires were matched with available jobs at PMRF based on their career interests, availability of work, the individual’s request to be placed at PMRF, and hobbies or career aspirations that matched available jobs.
Alu Like civil-service hires include Austin Arthur, a 15-year-old Waimea High School student who is working in morale, welfare and recreation (MWR). Also assigned to MWR are Brandon Broyles and Tasha Taniguchi.
Joshua Shintani, a Waimea High student, is working at the PMRF warehouse.
Shereen Shintani, 14, is working in the administration office, Robyn Nihi is assigned to the supply office, Iolana Aguiar is working as a warehouseman, and Tiffinay Taniguchi is assigned to public works’ office automation.
Alu Like students working for ITT this summer are Lance Kauwe (logistics) and Taryn Remata (technical library). Both are from Waimea High.
