Job hunters appeared to have the upper hand at the Hawaii Career Expo on Wednesday, where nearly 100 employers in attendance were looking to expand hiring to keep pace with the growing economy.
The event, held at the Neal Blaisdell Center Exhibition Hall, drew roughly 3,000 job seekers.
Some businesses in attendance advertised openings in nearly a dozen different job categories. One of those was Island Air, which is ramping up hiring as part of its expansion plans.
The interisland carrier announced Tuesday that it has ordered two 71-seat Bombardier Aerospace Q400 NextGen turboprop aircraft at an estimated cost of $60.9 million to possibly increase service to Maui, Kauai and Lanai. Delivery of the Q400s is slated for November and December, and Island Air said it had the option to buy four more planes from Bombardier.
The Island Air jobs included openings for aircraft mechanics, business development manager, director of flight operations, general manager on Lanai, and sales and marketing coordinator.
The two new planes are part of the airline’s ongoing restructuring effort to reverse financial losses about a year after billionaire Larry Ellison bought the struggling company.
Local hotel chain Aqua Hospitality is continuing to add staff after more than doubling the number of properties it manages across the state in the past four years, said Sheri DeFreitas, the company’s human resources manager. The company is hiring for numerous openings on Oahu and Hawaii island, including general manager at the Hilo Naniloa Hotel.
Hawaii-based clothing retailer Crazy Shirts also is hiring for multiple positions on Oahu and the neighbor islands, said Andrea Osborn, who manages the retailer’s store in the Hyatt Regency Waikiki.
"We’re looking for people who have a very open, upbeat personality," Osborn said. "They have to be fun and energetic."
Susan Watts, a registered nurse who works two part-time jobs, said she was encouraged to learn about several full-time management positions in her field.
"I would like to get back to full time," said Watts, who lost her job at a local hospital during a consolidation a few years ago.
Watts said she was planning to apply for the director of nursing services position at the latest The Plaza Assisted Living location under construction on Kalakaua Avenue across from the Hawai‘i Convention Center.
The Plaza, which opened its first property in Punchbowl in 2004, also operates locations in Mililani and Moanalua. The Plaza at Waikiki, which is slated for a possible 2015 opening, would provide up to 140 studio and two-bedroom units.
The Career Expo was sponsored by the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, Monster.com and Alternate Energy. Argosy University provided $62,000 worth of scholarships that were competitively awarded to 31 job seekers who attended the Expo.
