Career and technical education is critical to Hawaii and U.S. success

By Ron Umehira

POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Sep 10, 2012

~~<p>High unemployment at 6.4 percent for Hawaii and 8.3 percent nationally as of July 2012 remains a major concern and a persistent drag on the economy. There are jobs available in existing and emerging career fields, but only for those who have the skills and training necessary to fill those positions.</p>
<p>The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that even though 12.5 million Americans are searching for work, there are 3.5 million jobs that remain unfilled, largely due to a lack of skilled workers. This "skills gap" is a major problem for employers who need to hire workers to fill critical positions, and it is a major obstacle for millions of unemployed Americans who need to find work.</p>
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High unemployment at 6.4 percent for Hawaii and 8.3 percent nationally as of July 2012 remains a major concern and a persistent drag on the economy. There are jobs available in existing and emerging career fields, but only for those who have the skills and training necessary to fill those positions.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that even though 12.5 million Americans are searching for work, there are 3.5 million jobs that remain unfilled, largely due to a lack of skilled workers. This "skills gap" is a major problem for employers who need to hire workers to fill critical positions, and it is a major obstacle for millions of unemployed Americans who need to find work. Login for more...