{"id":230535,"date":"2026-03-10T11:00:39","date_gmt":"2026-03-10T21:00:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=230535"},"modified":"2026-03-10T11:00:39","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T21:00:39","slug":"uh-trainings-can-boost-earnings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2026\/03\/10\/uh-trainings-can-boost-earnings\/","title":{"rendered":"Career changers: UH<\/abbr> trainings can boost earnings by up to $5,500 per quarter"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>

\"Students<\/p>\n

A new report from the University of Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> Economic Research Organization<\/a> (UHERO<\/abbr>) emphasizes the crucial role of the UH<\/abbr> Community Colleges\u2019 Good Jobs Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> (GJH<\/abbr>) program in successfully placing residents into high-demand, higher-paying careers. The preliminary analysis by Rachel Inafuku provides more evidence that these targeted training programs are helping families combat Â鶹´«Ã½’s<\/span> persistent, high cost of living.<\/p>\n

“Consistent with the initial analysis<\/a>, average real quarterly wages for [Good Jobs Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span>] completers were more than $2,000 higher two quarters after program completion than two quarters prior,” the report said. This increase demonstrates how these short-term programs are creating essential earning power.<\/p>\n

Higher healthcare earnings<\/h2>\n

\"nurse\"<\/p>\n

The most dramatic gains were found among those who transitioned into a new field after training. In healthcare, the largest GJH<\/abbr> pathway, participants who switched from non-healthcare industries—such as retail or food services—saw their average quarterly earnings rise by more than $5,500 two quarters after completion. This amounts to an annualized earnings increase of $22,000 for workers entering a sector with sustained high demand due to Â鶹´«Ã½’s<\/span> aging population.<\/p>\n

Significant gains for skilled trades<\/h2>\n

\"person<\/p>\n

Similarly, skilled trades completers realized significant wage gains, earning roughly $2,600 more per quarter post-program. Employment patterns for this group also shifted away from lower-wage sectors and toward construction, manufacturing and public administration, aligning with the state’s thriving construction industry and its well-above-average wages.<\/p>\n

Smaller increases for tech<\/h2>\n

Outcomes varied by sector. Technology students—many of whom were mid-career workers with pre-program earnings higher than the average GJH<\/abbr> student—experienced smaller wage increases and more modest changes in industry placement.<\/p>\n

Read more UH<\/abbr> News<\/em> Good Jobs Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> stories<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Overall, these findings highlight how post-training earnings trajectories reflect both the specific skills acquired and the broader structure of Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span>\u2019s labor market.<\/p>\n

Inafuku said, “As Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> continues to face a high demand for workers in critical sectors alongside persistent cost-of-living pressures, workforce programs that align training with industry needs can address both challenges—placing workers in more stable, higher-paying jobs while helping employers meet demand.”<\/p>\n

Read the entire blog on UHERO<\/abbr>\u2019s website.<\/a><\/p>\n

UHERO<\/abbr> is housed in UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa\u2019s College of Social Sciences<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

UH<\/abbr> healthcare training may boost annual earnings by $22,000.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[301,197,1614,165,1467,1363,9,343,603],"class_list":["post-230535","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-research","tag-college-of-social-sciences","tag-economics","tag-good-jobs-hawaii","tag-health","tag-manoa-excellence-in-research","tag-manoa-research","tag-uh-manoa","tag-uhero","tag-workforce-development","entry","has-media"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t