LIHUE — Bobby Ayonon of Kauai Air Conditioning and Refrigeration was glad he attended the WorkWise Job Fair Wednesday morning at the Kauai War Memorial Convention Hall. “I got one good potential candidate,” Ayonon said. “If I didn’t attend, I
LIHUE — Bobby Ayonon of Kauai Air Conditioning and Refrigeration was glad he attended the WorkWise Job Fair Wednesday morning at the Kauai War Memorial Convention Hall.
“I got one good potential candidate,” Ayonon said. “If I didn’t attend, I would not have this contact, and I’d still be looking.”
Ayonon was one of 77 employer vendors seeking candidates for employment at the WorkWise Job Fair.
“This is the most employers we’ve had at a job fair,” said Eric Nordmeier, director of the Kauai WorkWise. “There is so much opportunity out there for people seeking jobs. These employers came with a purpose to hire today. We actually had to turn some employers away because of space constraints.”
Ayonon was seeking a skilled technician.
“We have been so busy we need someone in that capacity,” Ayonon said. “We have been looking for the past three years after our last one moved to the Mainland.”
Clyde Kodani was also seeking technical positions — an engineer and a person experienced and skilled in Auto CAD, a drafting program — for his engineering firm.
“I checked with the college,” Kodani said. “They don’t even offer the program anymore.”
Prospective employees also liked the variety of employers they could meet.
“My health has become better so I’m in the job market,” said Maureen Nuccio-Haraga. “I haven’t been in the job market since 2005. Ideally, I would like something with the Department of Health, working with the Zika virus. I have a 20-year history working with departments of health. I have a background in maternal childhood project, too. However, I’ll look at jobs like cashiering, or being a sales associate.”
Michael Sterioff, owner of Passion Bakery Cafe in the Kinipopo Shopping Center, participated in the fair for the first time.
“But we have become so busy, we need two people — a delivery person, and a person who wants to learn how to make bread,” Sterioff said. “We opened seven years ago, and business has grown to where we have three operations — a wholesale, the production facility, and a small retail shop and cafe. We’re Kauai’s best kept secret.”
