Four University of Â鶹´«Ã½ Community Colleges received funding for technology projects that include equipping testing centers, upgrading computer labs and leveraging advanced technologies to engage community members in non-credit financial literacy and entrepreneurship programs. The (PCATT) awarded technology grants totaling $75,000 to Â鶹´«Ã½ CC, Kauaʻi CC, Leeward CC and Windward CC.

“These grants will support non-credit technology courses across the state and bolster the great work that is already being done by the continuing education divisions at the UH Community College System,” says Dan Doerger, PCATT director. “Our goal is to continue to provide learning opportunities that empower our non-credit students to achieve their career goals.”

Campus initiatives include:

• : iPads and innovative apps to enhance educational opportunities. These tools will support programs in 3D modeling and hands-on learning for middle and high school students, while also providing professional development for Hawai‘i Department of Education teachers to incorporate these technologies into future courses.
• : Apple product classes, refreshing computer labs, and offering Geographic Information Systems (GIS) courses, ensuring the campus can better serve a diverse community.
• : Expanding CompTIA instruction by certifying a Pearson Vue testing facility and upgrading classroom instructional resources.
• : Enhancing and expanding its successful entrepreneurship and financial literacy program targeting K–12 students. With updated equipment and increased group work center capacity, the campus will aim to double their outreach, providing students with hands-on experience in creating and marketing their own products, while learning valuable business skills.

PCATT is a consortium of the seven UH Community Colleges dedicated to advancing technology education. It offers a wide array of training programs and resources designed to empower students and professionals to keep pace with the ever-evolving tech industry. PCATT fosters innovation and skill development, preparing individuals for successful careers in technology-driven fields across the Pacific region and beyond.

World-renowned taiko artist Kenny Endo will offer a series of taiko drumming classes at Kapiʻolani Community College in collaboration with the and the starting on September 8. The classes are open to the public and are for various ages and skill levels.

For more information or to register, visit .

“Taiko Center of the Pacific is happy and honored to once again offer our taiko classes at Kapiʻolani Community College,” said Endo. “Taiko is a wonderful activity which combines mind, body and spirit. People of all ages, please join us, as It’s never too late or never too early to learn and enjoy this cultural artform.”

Taiko, a traditional Japanese form of ensemble drumming, is celebrated for its powerful rhythms, dynamic performances and deep cultural heritage. The classes will serve a wide range of participants, from beginners eager to learn the basics to advanced drummers seeking to refine their skills. Students will explore various aspects of taiko, including performance techniques, cultural significance and community engagement.

The course offerings will include specialized classes such as Taiko for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, family-friendly sessions, and intensive performance training for those aspiring to showcase their talents on stage. Prices vary depending on the class.

In addition to acquiring new skills, participants will join a vibrant community of taiko enthusiasts, where they can deepen their appreciation for this dynamic art form and support personal growth.

With more than 50 students obtaining their (CDL) during the pandemic, has become one of the state’s leaders in training truck drivers, and preparing students for the state licensing exam. The program reached a new milestone and is now listed on the (FMCSA) . This ensures that all CDL curricula, facilities, instructors, vehicles and state licensing requirements are in compliance with the new Entry-Level Driver Training final rule imposed by the FMCSA.

The new rule goes into effect on February 7, 2022, and changes the education requirements for anyone who wants to obtain a CDL, upgrade a CDL, or obtain a passenger, school bus or hazmat endorsement. To comply with the rule, individuals will have to successfully complete a training program provided by a school or other entity on the FMCSA Training Provider Registry.

Â鶹´«Ã½ State CDL Examiner Monica Iras said, “The new rule will help promote safer and more knowledgeable truckers.”

Leeward CC Instructor Mike Scully, who teaches and coordinates the Commercial Motor Vehicle Series offered through the , worked tirelessly to ensure the program met the rigorous standards put in place by the new rule.

“Adding the new ‘theory-based curriculum’ was very challenging,” Scully said.

He developed an online course that covers the five core areas mandated, encompassing 30 modules of required learning. Previously, trucking students were educated on how to obtain their license and drive safely. Now, with the theory-based curriculum, trucking students will be introduced to every facet of being a truck driver, including: their rights, the laws, penalties if a violation is committed, environmental issues, safe driving techniques, trucking skills and more.

• Related UH News story: Commercial truck driver training at Leeward CC on a roll, July 7, 2021

Adding more in-person instruction to the existing training would have meant a longer duration to complete the program and higher tuition. To mitigate this, the new theory-based portion is offered online through Laulima, the University of Â鶹´«Ã½â€™s online class portal. For more information visit the program website, or contact Scully at mscully@hawaii.edu.

Interested Â鶹´«Ã½ residents who are unemployed or underemployed may qualify for full tuition funding for this and other industry training at the Â鶹´«Ã½Community Colleges through the program.

—By Tad Saiki

Educational specialists from ±á²¹·É²¹¾±ʻ¾±â€™s prisons acquired refreshing new techniques and insights after a one-day training session with a instructor this summer. Like other industries, correctional facilities throughout the state experienced lockdowns and program cancellations due to COVID-19. This was especially challenging for educational staff who had to continue to deliver programs and services for the incarcerated population.

The State of Â鶹´«Ã½ Corrections Program Services-Education Branch, in partnership with the Leeward CC’s (OCEWD), provided a day-long training for education specialists, supervisors and select staff from statewide correctional facilities in June.

“Working at a correctional facility can at times be draining,” said Halawa Correctional Facility Education Supervisor Roseann Propato. “The ‘Train the Trainer’ session was helpful in getting to know more about my peers, realizing the value in the work we do, and renewed my sense of purpose.”

Drawing from 24 years of diverse experience, Leeward CC instructor Loretta Chen created an engaging, activity-filled day that included: “The Power of Perspective,” “Design Thinking and Active Empathy”, “From Broadway to Boardroom” (team building, singing and skits), and viewing of Chen’s short film The Secrets to Happiness (shot entirely in Bhutan, with a heartwarming message of the importance of gratitude and humility synonymous with the espousal of the aloha spirit).

“I enjoyed our all-day training session with Dr. Loretta. She taught me the absolute most important trait when communicating with anyone—empathy. Dr. Loretta’s emotional intelligence is impressively beyond reproach,” said Francis Taele, education supervisor at the Women’s Community Correctional Center.

Chen is now teaching entrepreneurship, customer service and financial literacy courses in ±á²¹·É²¹¾±ʻ¾±â€™s correctional facilities. These programs can be designed to suit most organizational needs.

or call (808) 455-0477 to learn more about OCEWD’s customizable training (for a variety of industries).

The University of Â鶹´«Ã½ was awarded $2.3 million by the to help increase the number of low-income and first-generation middle and high school students in the Windward Oʻahu community in postsecondary education.

The Soar Higher grant will support activities to build college and career aspirations, increase academic readiness, and provide support to students in navigating their educational journey. The grant aims to help eliminate achievement gaps among groups traditionally underrepresented in higher education.

The grant builds upon the success of , a statewide grant from the U.S. Department of Education to improve access to and success in higher education at high-poverty middle and high schools statewide. GEAR UP Â鶹´«Ã½ has been serving Â鶹´«Ã½â€™s low-income youth since 2000, impacting an estimated 35,000-plus students statewide.

“We are committed to working with partners to advance educational equity in the Windward Oʻahu community,” said Stephen Schatz, executive director of . “This is going to be a team effort, and we will focus on students who need help the most.”

“We know the best path to household stability runs through a two- or four-year degree. But it’s still far too difficult for young people to get to and through college. We hope this four-year investment will double the number of public school graduates in Windward Oʻahu that earn a degree or certificate,” said Alex Harris, vice president for programs at Harold K.L. Castle Foundation.

Reaching new heights

Under the Soar Higher grant, the Windward community will utilize a coordinated, regional grades “6–16” approach to provide students with developmentally appropriate support to help them successfully complete high school, then enroll and persist in college. Windward area high schools will work with their feeder middle schools and to develop and implement a vertically-aligned, comprehensive college and career program that will provide counseling and support for students to explore career interests, improve their academic preparation, engage in work-based learning opportunities, and ultimately transition successfully through the 6–16 pipeline to eventually attain their career goals.

“Our goal is to empower our students with the knowledge and skills they need to create their own post-secondary plan,” said Bernie Tyrell, principal of Castle High School. “We are grateful for the generous support of the Harold K.L. Castle Foundation to continue this work that we have started in building career pathways, and we will use these funds to support the implementation of our plans so that our students can succeed after high school.”

“Through Soar Higher, Harold K.L. Castle Foundation has brought us together to support our ʻopio, this next generation, to achieve their career goals through education. This not only leverages the strengths of our Koʻolau communities, where we all work together to create better tomorrows for our children, but also grows the dreams of our children, which are the dreams of what we will become as communities,” said Windward CC Chancellor Ardis Eschenberg.

“Short-term training for a lasting career” is what Leeward Community College’s (CMV) series provides students, according to instructor Mike Scully.

This program, offered through Leeward CC’s (OCEWD), prepares participants for their commercial driver’s license (CDL) in just seven weeks.

Scully is a prime example of how this program can quickly help an individual launch a new career as a truck driver. Formerly a culinary faculty who was reassigned to OCEWD, he decided to take the class (with no previous truck driving experience) with the hopes of becoming an instructor.

“I envisioned this as an opportunity to contribute to our program and help those in the community,” he said.

Setting an example

While working full-time as a coordinator, Scully was eventually able to obtain his Class A CDL license, including all of the CDL endorsements (a total of 11 tests), and land a job driving tractor-trailers for Y. Hata & Co., Ltd. This job gives him road experience that adds value to his classes.

As an educator, and motorcycle safety instructor for eight years, Scully’s skill as a teacher is proven as all 13 of the students from his last three classes have obtained their CDL licenses and six more will be taking their tests in a few weeks. Many of these students were displaced workers who took advantage of funding from the O‘ahu Back to Work initiative, or the American Job Center on Oʻahu, which covered the cost of tuition.

For Kahalepuna “Puna” Tani, this class came at just the right time.

“It was one of the only (CDL) classes running at the time. They were quick to respond and were willing to take me,” Tani said. “With funding through the American Job Center, I was able to take this class. My experience was awesome. Mike did an awesome job of training us. To me, anyone could pass the class if they put in the time and effort.”

It didn’t take long for Tani to find work, landing a full-time position at J&M Cesspool and Septic Pumping, LLC as a truck driver.

Industry partnerships

With so many applicants from Leeward CC trying for a CDL license, the State CDL Licensing Office took notice. Lead examiner Monica Irlas now visits the Leeward CC campus to speak to Scully’s classes, offering them an educational interaction instead of just meeting them in a testing situation.

Being in the industry has also allowed Scully to develop partnerships with employers. He is currently training technicians and marketing staff from International Trucks of Hawaii to obtain their CDL license, and he is working on expanding into Class B CDL training this summer with several businesses. Having these partnerships also allows him to connect his students with possible future employers.

“CDL drivers are working every day and keeping the island going during this pandemic,” Scully said. “Many displaced workers are realizing that they will always have a job if they can obtain their CDL.”

For more information visit the (CMV) program website, or contact Mike Scully at mscully@hawaii.edu.

, formerly the Office of Continuing Education and Training at , is diversifying and updating its course offerings in response to the impact of COVID-19. EDvance provides lifelong learning opportunities to all ages by offering courses and programs that include non-credit courses, workshops and customized training for businesses and industries, workforce training and other activities to enhance local economic development efforts.

“Society has suddenly become more accepting of not only online learning, but the delivery of prepared meals, contactless retail, remote meetings, flexible schedules, home-life balance and mental health, data-driven health prevention, remote workforce collaboration and digital currency,” Jim Fong, director of research and strategy at the University Professional and Continuing Education Association, .

EDvance is preparing for wide-ranging change with educational programming that is immediately applicable and locally relevant. The Â鶹´«Ã½ CC office aims to leverage existing talent and expertise in the community, making it accessible to everyone. With the right people teaching the right courses in the right format, EDvance can safely and effectively address the issues facing our community:

• Parents need educational activities for keiki.
• Kupuna need vital connections to the community.
• Unemployed workers need training and development.
• Businesses need assistance to adapt and adjust.
• Non-profits and government need to be informed and responsive.

EDvance has bold goals to meet the community’s needs, but requires passionate people to be successful. No previous teaching experience is required.

“We want to invest in you, from on-going coaching and training to networking and relationship-building,” said Jessica Yamamoto, EDvance director.

Join the EDvance instructor pool and share your skills or expertise with the community in a new or existing course. EDvance’s instructor pay starts at more than $30 an hour. To find out more or to begin the recruitment process, , call (808) 934-2700 or email edvance@hawaii.edu.

’s William Castillo has been named as a fellow for the ACTE 2020 Postsecondary Leadership Success Program. The (ACTE) leadership program selected 20 participants nationwide for the 2019–2020 cohort.

Castillo is the workforce development coordinator at Leeward CC’s . He has more than 13 years of experience in education and non-profit organizations with an emphasis on adult education. William volunteers as the treasurer for Â鶹´«Ã½ ACTE and enjoys event planning and writing about food.

The Postsecondary Leadership Success Program provides professional and career growth opportunities to the next generation of leaders in career and technical education (CTE) at nonprofits and postsecondary institutions offering CTE programs.

This is ACTE’s second cohort of CTE postsecondary professionals in leadership development activities. These activities include creating a personal development plan, attending virtual and in-person professional development sessions, sharing best practices with the field and engaging with a mentor. The goal of the program is to help participants develop and refine their skills in CTE organizational leadership and management; build critical skills in communication, collaboration, networking, problem solving and use of time/resources; and hone their ability to facilitate institutional change. The program also includes a research study to help determine what efforts best contribute to leadership development among postsecondary CTE professionals and the creation of resources that can be widely distributed to support others in the field.

ACTE is the nation’s largest not-for-profit association committed to the advancement of education that prepares youth and adults for successful careers. ACTE represents the community of CTE professionals, including educators, administrators, researchers, school counselors, guidance and career development professionals and others at all levels of education.

—By Kathleen Cabral

is offering two apprenticeship programs for food service employees to raise their level of skills, productivity and retention.

Â鶹´«Ã½ Cook Apprenticeship Program

The first program, , will begin its fourth round of classes on April 26. This culinary apprenticeship program has successfully graduated 200 apprentices during its first three sessions. Participants should be currently working in a food-service position or be willing to be placed into a position in the industry to take part in the program.

Employees of food-service establishments may be referred by their employers to receive 210 hours of quality culinary instruction, at no cost to the employer or apprentice. Participants receive the equivalent of $1,638 worth of instruction (13 credits at $126 a credit for local tuition at Kapiʻolani CC) for free. This opportunity is ideal for anyone in the culinary industry who has never had the opportunity to attend a college-level culinary class.

Cook apprentices will participate in 30 weeks of training. They will attend a six-hour,in-person, hands-on culinary instruction lab class each week at the Kapiʻolani campus on Basics of Cooking (either Fridays or Sundays) and take classes on ServSafe food safety, culinary nutrition, menu planning and overall food service.

Â鶹´«Ã½ Restaurant Manager Apprentice Program

The second program, the new , offers its first round of classes starting April 22. This program offers anyone who is either currently working as a restaurant manager, or would like to be elevated into that position, five (5) free online classes: manager level ServSafe food safety, hospitality human resources, restaurant management, restaurant marketing and controlling food service costs.

This program is available to anyone statewide. Classes are taken online, and testing can be done at University of Â鶹´«Ã½ testing centers on any island. This program offers an incredible opportunity for anyone in restaurant management or someone who would like to move up the career ladder.

Both programs are funded by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Apprenticeship USA State Expansion Grant, issued to the state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations Workforce Development Division Office.

To qualify, applicants must be at least 17 years of age, have a high school diploma or GED, possess a speaking and reading ability essential for personal and coworker safety on the job, be physically capable of performing the essential functions of a professional kitchen (for cooks) and have current TB clearance and MMR inoculations.

Space is limited for both programs, which are filling up quickly. Employers are encouraged to contact Program Coordinator Marcus Fikse as soon as possible via email at marcusjt@hawaii.edu or by calling (808) 734-9477.

The is offering a from the nationally recognized Product Safety Alliance (PSA). Learn about produce safety, the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rules, good agricultural practices, and co-management of natural resources and food safety.

The certification course will take place May 24, 8:30 a.m.—5 p.m. at the UH Maui College Laulima Building 105. For fees and registration visit the .

Food safety and modernization requirement

The PSA grower training course satisfies the FSMA produce safety requirement that states “At least one supervisor or responsible party for your farm must have successfully completed food safety training at least equivalent to that received under standardized curriculum recognized as adequate by the Food and Drug Administration.”

After attending the entire course, participants will be eligible to receive a certificate from the Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO) that verifies they have completed the training course. To receive an AFDO certificate, a participant must be present for the entire training and submit the appropriate paperwork to their trainer at the end of the course.

The PSA grower training course

The trainers will spend approximately seven hours of instruction time covering:

• Introduction to produce safety
• Worker health, hygiene, and training
• Agricultural water (Part I: Production water; Part II: Postharvest water)
• Postharvest handling and sanitation
• How to develop a farm food safety plan

In addition to learning about produce safety best practices, key parts of the FSMA produce safety rule requirements are outlined within each module. There will be time for questions and discussion, so participants should come prepared to share their experiences and produce safety questions.

For more information on the FSMA and the PSA, visit the .

For more information or questions, please email Nicolette van der Lee or call (808) 984-3300.