ClimbHI nonprofit goes on hiring blitz

Local workforce development nonprofit ClimbHI is launching hiring blitzes and other new opportunities that connect Hawaii students with Hawaii employers.

ClimbHI held a pilot hiring blitz in April where 74 Hono­kaa High and Intermediate School seniors networked with industry leaders in finance, health care, aviation, trades, retail and hospitality. For many positions, the hiring blitz condensed the timeline to one day, rather than weeks or months.

ClimbHI President Julie Morikawa, who founded ClimbHI more than a decade ago, said in a statement, “We are reimagining and streamlining the hiring process in an effort to create greater connections between local businesses and students. Importantly, we are linking students up with career paths that offer economic self- sufficiency with a clear progression plan.”

Morikawa said the success of the pilot will allow ClimbHI to reach schools and businesses throughout the state so students can more easily and equitably access high-quality opportunities, and businesses can tap into an engaged workforce. It’s just one of several new initiatives launched this year as ClimbHI works to redefine workforce development as a comprehensive solutions provider for students, schools and businesses.

Morikawa says businesses are already seeing results. In the days following the pilot hiring blitz, Mauna Kea Beach Hotel hosted nine Honokaa, Hilo and Kohala high school seniors, eight of whom were hired the same day across a variety of departments, from food and beverage to engineering. Students were also hired across several other companies.

Mauna Kea Beach Hotel Human Resources Manager Kekai Edayan said in a statement, “We are changing the traditional hiring model to meet the needs of all students with amazingly positive results.”

The new hiring blitzes build on other workforce development innovations such as the ClimbHI online portal, which in 2022 helped Hawaii employers reach more than 70,000 students from elementary to high school across more than 600 events.

Moriwaka also has created “exposureships” to bridge the gap between networking and internships. This includes recent events with organizations such as Mana Up, a Hawaii-based accelerator for consumer brands, as well as Alaska Airlines, which hosted Waianae High School students for a four-day program at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport that is expanding to airports statewide.

“We have created flexible opportunities for students to explore future careers and earn credit toward graduation, and for businesses to create awareness about their opportunities and to potentially build out their talent pipelines,” she said.

Exposure to ClimbHI often begins with students participating in the organization’s annual one- or two-day Leadership, Exploration, Inspiration events, which connect students to hospitality opportunities.

In addition, ClimbHI has partnered with the state Department of Education Career and Technical Education program to offer the Service Excellence Certificate, which utilizes a curriculum developed in partnership with the School of Hotel Administration at the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business. The program, which helps prepare students to join the workforce, has reached nearly 2,300 students statewide since it was launched in early 2020.

To learn more about ClimbHI, email info@climbhi.org or visit climbhi.org.