LIHU‘E — The Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement announced that the Alaka‘ina Foundation has committed more than $200,000 over the next two years that will help to further expand CNHA’s Hawaiian Trades Academy program.
On May 5, CNHA and Alaka‘ina board members traveled to Kaua‘i to meet with Mayor Derek Kawakami. The group provided the mayor with an update on the academy program, and shared with him new commitments for the Kaua‘i community.
“CNHA launched the academy with one basic goal, to help raise the household income of Hawai‘i families by providing workforce-development opportunities in economically and socially disadvantaged communities across the islands,” said Kuhio Lewis, CNHA president and CEO.
“Our partnership with Alaka‘ina Foundation will help us to expand our programs to deliver across the pae ‘aina.”
Through Alaka‘ina’s support, the academy will be able to continue providing on-going support for graduates, systematic and refined reporting for performance measures, improvements to program curriculums, research for future trades programs, updated equipment for students and staff and support for ancillary services.
“We are pleased to support CNHA’s Hawaiian Trades Academy,” said Kimo Bacon, vice president and executive director of the Alaka‘ina Foundation, “to build leadership programs and opportunities for our ‘na pua o Hawai‘i, focusing on its three mission areas of perpetuating and growing ‘olelo Hawai‘i, aloha ‘aina and ka wa‘a, fits in lockstep with CNHA’s mission to uplift our lahui,’’ said Bacon.
“In addition to our partnership with CNHA on Kaua‘i County, we have also teamed with the Hawai‘i Chapter of the American Red Cross as a bronze level donor this year,” Bacon continued.
”Our monies will be used to support fire prevention efforts in (state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands) Hawaiian homes in Anahola. We also have a long-standing partnership with the University of Hawai‘i Foundation, funding educational programs and scholarships across all islands. And this year we will have donated a total of over $500,000 to Kaua‘i Community College alone.”
Since its inception in 2019, the Hawaiian Trades Academy has received more $1.3M in grants, delivered 12 academies spanning Kaua‘i, Maui, Moloka‘i and O‘ahu, and serviced over 390 students in carpentry, CDL, fire, police and solar academies.
Academy classes take place over an eight-to-14-week span. Participants learn and develop trade skills, gain mentoring, and leave the program with numerous certifications, like CDL licenses, OSHA-10 certification, respiratory and/or first aid training. All programs include financial empowerment, Hawai‘i culture education, and job placement assistance.
w Info: hawaiiancouncil.org/trades
