Workforce Innovation
The Workforce Innovation team at the University of Hawai`i Community Colleges (UHCC) collaborates with federal, state, and county economic and workforce development agencies in analysis, planning, policy issues and development of innovative training programs that improve Hawai`i’s labor force.
We support the seven campuses of the University of Hawaiʻi Community Colleges and utilize the most current sources of labor market information and data analytics to help our campuses develop innovative workforce programs that service Hawaiʻi’s incumbent workforce, future workforce and the state’s dislocated and vulnerable worker populations.
We work closely with business and industry sector partners including the Chamber of Commerce of Hawaiʻi on immediate, ongoing and new workforce needs. Likewise, we work with workforce development agencies across the state including the Hawaiʻi Workforce Development Council which oversees the administration of the U.S. Department of Labor Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.
Workforce Initiatives
Good Jobs Hawai‘i
Workforce Innovation is home to Good Jobs Hawai‘i, a statewide initiative leveraging all of the workforce development grants managed by the UHCC System. Via this initiative, we support the growth and development of training programs in partnership with the U.S. Department of Commerce, Economic Development Administration, the federal Department of Education, and the City & County of Honolulu. With this funding, Good Jobs Hawaii supports training, internships, and full-time employment in high demand jobs across the state. These opportunities are available to all eligible residents of Hawai‘i.
Planning and Implementation of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA)
The UHCC system serves as the designated representative on the State of Hawai`i Workforce Development Council (WDC). This allows us to support our campuses in developing unique and innovative workforce training solutions in a reduced time to market, unify services through multiple agencies to collaboratively train and place into employment some of Hawai`i more vulnerable populations.
Non-Credit to Credit/Credit to Non-Credit Pathways
The University of Hawaiʻi Community Colleges (UHCC), are developing innovative non-credit program pathways to meet local workforce and community needs in Hawai’i. With a focus on employment pathways to high-demand, living-wage jobs in three strategic sectors: healthcare, technology, and skilled trades, the UHCCs have advanced this work by joining the Non-Credit and Credit Alignment (NCAL) Lab coordinated by the Education Strategy Group and Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT). An outcome from this work is to pilot new strategies for institutionalizing non-credit to credit alignment work and developing infrastructure and processes to support it.
Current strategies include:
Supporting campuses with resources for stronger advising support, student persistence and career readiness for non-credit students through grant-funded navigator positions assigned to every program cohort.
Creating processes and establishing agreements to promote the articulation of non-credit courses and certifications to credit pathways, with 17 new and updated articulation agreements established through the Reimagine Workforce Prep grant.
Defining pathways from non-credit to credit programs using online pathway maps promoted through the Good Jobs Hawaiʻi initiative.
Standardizing and aligning credit and non-credit programs across the statewide community college system.
Reorganizing the structure of credit and non-credit programs under the same administrator at the system and campus levels.
Tracking student progression across non-credit and credit programs.
Developing enhancements in the non-credit data collection and reporting.
Implementing a system to track industry certifications and embed certifications in non-credit and credit courses.
Labor Market Information (LMI)
Providing all grant participants, students and job seekers meaningful access to LMI continues to be one of the primary goals for the UHCC system. Through Career Explorer, students, parents, teachers, and counselors now have the ability to access up-to-date labor market data allowing them to make informed decisions in crafting pathways to successful careers.
Military Opportunities
Non-Credit Workforce Training
- Army CAPS
- MyCAA (Military Spouses)
- Air Force Cool
Contact Us
Staff
Marshall Norman, Good Jobs Program Manager
Nicolette Van Der Lee, Program Manager
Vincent Kimura, Program Manager
Adina Murakami, College & Career Specialist
Office
UH Community Colleges
Workforce Innovation
2327 Dole Street
Honolulu, HI 96822
Email: gmnorman@hawaii.edu