Honoka‘a was the site of a Job Fair on June 17 hosted at the Honoka‘a Union Hall by owner Lee West in conjunction with the ILWU Hawaii Local 142.
Employers from Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, Fairmont Orchard, Outrigger Kona Resort, Hilton Waikoloa Village, Mauna Lani Resort and the state Workforce Development Division all participated.
Final results of the turnout, the number of jobs offered, and applicants hired are still being tallied, but the Fairmont Orchid was able to encourage applications from at least 80% of the attendees, and the Hilton said it was sending hire letters to more than a third of the attendees.
Lee said it was important to stand out from other job fairs in this tight job market, so he set a high bar for the employers to “guarantee jobs on the spot as well focus on culinary and front-facing roles.” The employers agreed and came prepared with their HR department heads to conduct interviews and take online applications. Employers also added hiring bonuses of $1,000 and more.
The Job Fair was open to all high school students on the island. Lee said he met with teachers, students and parents at the various high schools up and down the Hamakua Coast. Dylan Gaspar, ILWU business agent, reached out to his network and passed out flyers to local businesses and community establishments. Everyone worked together as a team to get the word out and make this a success, Lee said.
Denise Pacheco, supervisor of the Workforce Development Division, said, “The Union Hall’s Job Fair in the beautiful town of Honoka‘a brought together employers in the first ‘in person’ Job Fair in Honoka‘a and connected individuals with employers and fostered a positive networking experience. A worthwhile experience for all.”
“We are excited to see ILWU going out into our communities to promote economic revitalization through outreach and career education,” Mayor Mitch Roth said in a statement, “The unions provide quality jobs with great benefits, and bolstering the up-and-coming labor force is critical to our island’s economy moving forward.”