Hawaii Tech Days connects young IT professionals with local companies
by Robert Yang | Sept. 14, 2024
When I was in high school, many of my advisors and educators told me that if I wanted to pursue the best educational and career opportunities, I may need to leave the islands. But because of the unique geographical location of Hawaii and our culture centered around family and relationships, moving away from Hawaii is neither practical nor desirable for many young local people.
That’s why it’s great to see that local organizations are making a concerted effort to provide opportunities for students at home in Hawaii. One such opportunity is the Hawaii Tech Days program, an IT and technology career outreach program founded in 2023 through a partnership between the University of Hawaii and the Chamber of Commerce Hawaii.
Through Hawaii Tech Days, high school and college students interested in pursuing a career in IT or technology can get connected with local companies.
Hawaiian Electric is proud to support the program and partnered with Hawaii Tech Days to host the IT Educator Externship in downtown Honolulu on March 28, 2024. We hosted educators from across the state, providing a tour of our offices and presenting information about the IT career pathways and opportunities within our company.
Joan Zara, a computer science student at the University of Hawaii who previously participated in Hawaii Tech Days, spoke about her experiences in the program and discussed her current role with Hawaiian Electric’s network operations center (NOC). She even shared how seeing Hawaiian Electric at her middle school MATHCOUNTS competitions influenced her decision to apply for a position with the company.
Kazu Hayashida, Hawaiian Electric’s workforce planning and talent acquisition manager, views Hawaii Tech Days as a great program to strengthen the workforce and keep local talent in Hawaii.
“When I heard about the Chamber of Commerce’s Hawaii Tech Days program, I immediately asked how Hawaiian Electric can get involved,” said Kazu. “We’re always looking for avenues to bring in skilled local people and help develop their career path.”
From my own experience, people are often surprised when I tell them I do social media as a job. It’s a role that’s still uncommon among companies in Hawaii and I am fortunate that Hawaiian Electric had this opportunity available. I hope more local students can find similar success.
Finding and retaining top talent in Hawaii’s local job market has long been a challenge for employers in the aloha state. Hawaii Tech Days hopes to bridge this challenge in the IT sector and continue to develop Hawaii’s technology workforce.
To learn more about Hawaii Tech Days, visit its website through the University of Hawaii.
Robert Yang is a digital communications and social media specialist at Hawaiian Electric.
