Print
E-mail
Comment
Rate
Building careers for the next generation
  
|
By Coco Zickos - The Garden Island
LIHU‘E — In an effort to expand the next generation’s employment horizons, Leadership Kaua‘i created the Ka ‘Ulu Pono Career Awareness Program to introduce viable career opportunities to the island’s youth.
A conference held Thursday morning at the Kaua‘i Marriott Resort and Beach Club was a culmination of the year’s activities related to the program.
Eight projects, developed in coordination with what Leadership Kaua‘i considers to be “viable careers for the future,” were presented by participating schools from across the island.
“The future of Kaua‘i’s economy has to be diversified,” said Mason Chock, executive director of Leadership Kaua‘i, Thursday. “It can’t be just one industry.”
He said each project identified with one of the six major industry clusters on the island — arts and culture, health and wellness, high technology, sports and recreation, renewable energy and food and agriculture — which will hopefully provide employment opportunities for students once they have graduated and are well on their way to building careers.
For instance, the automotive mechanic students of Kaua‘i High School created a bio-diesel car in a project related to the renewable energy industry and managed to convert a traditional vehicle to one powered only by bio-diesel fuel.
Waimea High School, on the other hand, created a ROV — Remotely Operated Vehicle — pertaining to the high-technology industry. The robot has the ability to function in water 16 feet deep and reportedly won them a second place position at a regional competition.
“It introduces the students to different career opportunities,” said Vonn Ramos, a graduate of the Leadership Kaua‘i Program, when asked about the various projects completed by the students. “It’s educational, but at the same time they’re having fun.”
Each of the eight groups were awarded $5,600 to aid in the development of their projects, thanks to a federal grant and the support of the county’s Office of Economic Development and the Kaua‘i Workforce Investment Board, said Chock.
Not only did the conference provide an occasion for the students to share their work with others, it also gave them a chance to network with some of Kaua‘i’s leading businesses in each of the six sectors.
“Building these networks now while they’re young might create possibilities for their future careers,” said Brenda Jose, program director for Leadership Kaua‘i.
Representatives from businesses such as Hawai‘i BioEnergy and National Tropical Botanical Gardens were at hand Thursday to answer questions and provide advice relevant to their field of work.
Fran Becker, executive director of Na Lei Wili, Area Health Education Center, said there are many different avenues to approach if considering the health industry.
“Kaua‘i is designated as a medically under-served rural community,” she said, adding that there are a vast number career choices in the medical field that students can and should consider upon graduation.
Even Kaua‘i Film Commissioner Art Umezu set up a booth to help with the arts and culture industry of which he has been a part for over 20 years.
“We need people that have good work ethics,” he said. “We’ve got to step it up.”
For more information, visit www.leadershipkauai.org
• Coco Zickos, business and environmental writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 251) or czickos@kauaipubco.com
A conference held Thursday morning at the Kaua‘i Marriott Resort and Beach Club was a culmination of the year’s activities related to the program.
Eight projects, developed in coordination with what Leadership Kaua‘i considers to be “viable careers for the future,” were presented by participating schools from across the island.
“The future of Kaua‘i’s economy has to be diversified,” said Mason Chock, executive director of Leadership Kaua‘i, Thursday. “It can’t be just one industry.”
He said each project identified with one of the six major industry clusters on the island — arts and culture, health and wellness, high technology, sports and recreation, renewable energy and food and agriculture — which will hopefully provide employment opportunities for students once they have graduated and are well on their way to building careers.
For instance, the automotive mechanic students of Kaua‘i High School created a bio-diesel car in a project related to the renewable energy industry and managed to convert a traditional vehicle to one powered only by bio-diesel fuel.
Waimea High School, on the other hand, created a ROV — Remotely Operated Vehicle — pertaining to the high-technology industry. The robot has the ability to function in water 16 feet deep and reportedly won them a second place position at a regional competition.
“It introduces the students to different career opportunities,” said Vonn Ramos, a graduate of the Leadership Kaua‘i Program, when asked about the various projects completed by the students. “It’s educational, but at the same time they’re having fun.”
Each of the eight groups were awarded $5,600 to aid in the development of their projects, thanks to a federal grant and the support of the county’s Office of Economic Development and the Kaua‘i Workforce Investment Board, said Chock.
Not only did the conference provide an occasion for the students to share their work with others, it also gave them a chance to network with some of Kaua‘i’s leading businesses in each of the six sectors.
“Building these networks now while they’re young might create possibilities for their future careers,” said Brenda Jose, program director for Leadership Kaua‘i.
Representatives from businesses such as Hawai‘i BioEnergy and National Tropical Botanical Gardens were at hand Thursday to answer questions and provide advice relevant to their field of work.
Fran Becker, executive director of Na Lei Wili, Area Health Education Center, said there are many different avenues to approach if considering the health industry.
“Kaua‘i is designated as a medically under-served rural community,” she said, adding that there are a vast number career choices in the medical field that students can and should consider upon graduation.
Even Kaua‘i Film Commissioner Art Umezu set up a booth to help with the arts and culture industry of which he has been a part for over 20 years.
“We need people that have good work ethics,” he said. “We’ve got to step it up.”
For more information, visit www.leadershipkauai.org
• Coco Zickos, business and environmental writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 251) or czickos@kauaipubco.com
 |
 |
|
| Family offers reward for details about missing visitor | Ethics Board releases ‘flawed’ attorney opinion |
Related headlines
- Building careers for the next generation
- Robotics hui unveils 2009 creation for sponsors
- Community Calendar: Things to do on the Garden Island
Article Rating
Reader Comments
The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of kauaiworld.com.
You must register with a valid email to post comments. Only your Member ID will be posted with the comments.
Registered users sign in here: |
Become a Registered User |
RSS