LIHU‘E — About 250 freshmen students at Kaua‘i High School had an enlightening time on Monday during the third Career Exploration Fair presented by the Kaua‘i Economic Development Board (KEDB) with support from several sponsors.
“The Career Exploration Fairs are significant events for high school students because it offers them an invaluable platform to explore various career paths and gain insight into the many different industries in the community,” a spokesperson for the KEDB said.
“We’re targeting freshmen students because this is where they make their choices in deciding which of the available pathways are available for them to take.”
Monday’s event was the third Career Exploration Fair presented by KEDB in November. The first fair was held at the Kapa‘a High School for about 250 freshmen. The second fair was held at Waimea High School for more than 500 students.
The larger number of students was due to Waimea High School opening the fair to its entire student population and inviting the older-grade St. Theresa School students to participate. Additionally, students from the Waimea Canyon School and the Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School were bussed in for the Waimea event.
Nearly 40 vendors, representing community industry partners, took advantage of the event being held in the new Kaua‘i High School gymnasium as a hedge against the inclement weather generated by the passage of a low pressure system through the state. The vendors were able to connect with both students and chaperoning teachers in-person to generate a sense of excitement that could not be replicated if the event was virtual.
The last Career Exploration Fair presented by the KEDB was in 2019 at Grand Hyatt Kaua“i Resort and Spa for high school freshmen. It was a tri-school event where students were bussed into Po‘ipu for a daylong adventure in career discovery before the COVID-19 pandemic put everything on hold.
When KEDB hosted the first Career Exploration Fair in Kapa‘a, the event marked the return of career exploration because all three public high schools have embraced the career academies and pathways model for their respective schools.
Major sponsors to the Career Exploration Fairs include Hawai‘i Pacific Health, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1186 (IBEW), Keoki’s Paradise, Koa Lani JV, LLC, and Plumbers &Fitters UA Local 675, Aloha Termite Kaua‘i, Aqua Engineers and Holo Holo Charters.
