LIHU‘E — Employers who are hiring had no shortage of takers, Thursday when hundreds of people flocked to the Lihu‘e Civic Center’s Pi‘ikoi Building for a job fair coordinated by the county’s Office of Economic Development and the state’s WorkWise
LIHU‘E — Employers who are hiring had no shortage of takers, Thursday when hundreds of people flocked to the Lihu‘e Civic Center’s Pi‘ikoi Building for a job fair coordinated by the county’s Office of Economic Development and the state’s WorkWise program.
“The last fair we had was in 2009 at the Kaua‘i Community College,” said Jan Miyamoto, Workforce Investment Act administrator for OED. “Last year, we didn’t have a fair because the employers were not hiring.”
This year, Miyamoto said the 35 participating employers offered a wide variety of jobs, including entry level positions, clerical, technical, professional and managerial.
“We have all the major resorts represented here today,” Miyamoto said. “We also have representatives from the financial services, retailing, food and agriculture and health care services. There is a wide array of jobs at all levels with positions from full time to flex time.”
Eli Gorman of the Sheraton Kaua‘i Resorts Human Services department said the fair was a good one due to the number of people attending.
“We have several positions available and the flow of interested people has been steady,” Gorman said. “Our applications are done online and our job is to answer questions, as well as help them to the forms. We’ve seen several well-qualified people come through here so, hopefully, they complete the application process.”
Miyamoto estimated about 500 people took advantage of the one-stop opportunity for job seekers to meet with employers face-to-face in one location.
“It’s good to have this event during the work day,” said Eric Nordmeier, acting manager for WorkWise Kaua‘i. “Right now, the Kaua‘i unemployment rate is 8.3 percent compared to the state’s 6.5 percent at the end of August. Having the event on a work day and in this place lets the people have an opportunity at the jobs.”
Miyamoto said in addition to the employers, there were four agencies available to help people looking for jobs: Alu Like, which had training programs and scholarships for Hawaiians and Native Americans; WorkWise Kaua‘i; Kaua‘i Community College, represented through its Office of Continuing Education and Training as well as its credit classes; and Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative, although it offered no current job openings, was available to explain its apprenticeship program.
One job seeker was hopeful about finding some kind of opportunity.
“What happens when you run out of unemployment (benefits)?” he said. “The last job I had lasted only 17 weeks — three weeks short of qualifying for unemployment.”
Another, who received notification of his job termination, said he was looking for something so he could remain on Kaua‘i.
“Hopefully, I can find something which gets me in the door,” he said. “There’s nothing in my field right now. I tried. But if I find something, at least it’ll get me in the door. I want to be able to watch my kids.”
Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr., taping his “Together, We Can” television show, created a positive twist, noting the number of jobs available on Kaua‘i for Kauaians willing to work.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@ thegardenisland.com.
