HAH Workforce Programs

CNA to LPN Glidepath Program

To help train new licensed practical nurses (LPNs) for the workforce, this innovative program was launched in 2023 to expand nursing education access to Hawaii residents. As the first earn-and-learn, or “glidepath” program, for certified nurse aides (CNAs) and other entry-level healthcare professionals to quickly advance and become practical nurses while working.

The program provides online lectures for students across Maui, Kaua‘i, Hawai‘i Island, and O‘ahu, while in-person labs and clinical training take place at partnering employer sites.

Students can continue working part-time as CNAs, with employers adjusting their schedules around class hours and offering supplemental pay during the program. Upon completion of the 12-month program, entry-level healthcare workers can secure a position with a family-sustaining wage.

More information on the program and instructions on how to apply can be found here: CNA+ to PN Bridge Program - University of Hawaii Maui College

High School Workforce Development Certificate Programs

HAH’s healthcare certificate workforce development programs train high school seniors or recent high school graduates for high-demand jobs such as certified nurse aide, patient service representative, medical assistant, and phlebotomist.

The program structure is unique as it encompasses career exploration, employable skills training, transition-to-employment support, and the healthcare certificate training course. Recognizing that 49% of Hawai‘i’s public school seniors do not pursue post-secondary studies after graduation, the program strategically provides training and employment opportunities during the senior year of high school or immediately after graduation.

The employment process for students is integrated into the training to ensure that students apply, interview, and, if selected, receive job offers before their high school graduation.

With Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander students currently underrepresented in healthcare, the program focuses on increasing enrollment among those demographics.

Certificate training programs are currently offered at the following schools for the 2024-25 school year:

• Honoka‘a High School

• Honolulu District Schools (Farrington High School, McKinley High School & Kaimuki High School)

• Kaua‘i High School

• Leilehua High School

• Mililani High School

• Waiākea High School

• Wai‘anae High School

• West Hawai‘i District Schools (Kealakehe High School, West Hawai‘i Explorations, Konawaena High School* & Kohala High School*)

• Windward O‘ahu District Schools (Castle High School & Kailua High School)

*Newly added partners for the 2024-25 school year.

Student-Led Career Market Research Project

The Center for Tomorrow’s Leaders, a Hawai‘i-based nonprofit, runs leadership programs for 800+ students from 18 public high schools across five islands. Waipahu High School participants conducted market research using surveys and focus groups to determine career-information needs of eighth to 12th grade students and their preferred information delivery methods. Their project won the 2024 Vision Lab for their division. In March 2024, students presented key findings to the Healthcare Sector Partnership, which incorporated them into the larger career education program.

Results of their survey and focus groups indicate:

• Most are drawn to healthcare careers to help others and for competitive pay;

• Those uninterested in healthcare cite lack of personal interest, lengthy education requirements, and aversion to the sight of blood; and

• Daily tasks, salary, work environment, and schooling factor into their career choices.

For career guidance students report typically turning to:

• Parents (38%)

• Teachers (36%)

• Peers (27%)

• Instagram (39%) and TikTok (34%) for career-related content.

The full Waipahu CTL presentation can be found here.

Healthcare Career Education Program

Based upon these findings, HAH will spend the next two years focusing on an 8th grade recruitment project, in collaboration with the Healthcare Sector Partnership, and the development of a robust hands-on career fair.

As a key component of the recruitment project, HAH created a career education video for 8th graders with sponsorship from staffing agency Prolink and production by RKT Media.

The goal of the video is to dispel the perception that the healthcare workforce is primarily made up of doctors and nurses in the hospital setting, and to pique students’ interest in exploring the many professions within acute and post-acute healthcare settings.

Classroom Renovation Project

HAH has embarked on a robust initiative to renovate public high school Health Services Pathway classrooms into learning labs. The goals of the project are to support hands-on clinical learning, enable a seamless transition from learning to employment, and attract students to the Health Services Pathway.

HAH worked closely with the Hawai‘i Department of Education for approval for the first three schools (Wai‘anae, Waiākea, and Farrington High Schools) and engaged G70 to develop the designs. An initial $1 million in funding has been secured through HB1827, and additional fundraising is underway with multiple interested parties.

Good Jobs Hawai‘i

HAH has partnered with Good Jobs Hawai‘i, a coalition of educators, businesses, and other community partners that will help people in Hawai‘i get high-quality jobs and careers, while ensuring employers meet their needs for a skilled, local workforce.

Hawai‘i’s high cost of living makes it difficult for many local residents to make ends meet or raise a family. People need a job that they can thrive in— one that pays a living wage, provides good benefits, offers opportunities for advancement, and makes one feel valued.

Good Jobs Hawai‘i focuses on sector partnerships that are industry-led, community-supported collaboratives that strengthen our local economies and prepare and connect Hawai‘i’s people to careers in in-demand industries. These sector partnerships will bring together Hawai‘i employers to translate their skills/needs into training programs, certifications, and/or on-the-job training opportunities. The major sectors involved in Good Jobs Hawai‘i include Healthcare, Technology, Clean Energy/Skilled Trades, and Creative Industries.

The University of Hawai‘i Community Colleges (UHCC) are leading the effort by offering free skills training in high-demand industries. Employers from these industries will work with UHCC to identify positions that need to be filled. UHCC will provide the training and support that allows for individuals to be skilled up and have pathways to advance into these high-demand jobs.

As one of 32 workforce initiatives awarded funding nationally through the American Rescue Plan Act, Good Jobs Hawai‘i will focus on innovative approaches to transform Hawai‘i’s workforce development system and support Hawai‘i residents.

Good Jobs Hawai‘i aims to build equitable pathways to quality jobs in Hawai‘i for generations to come.

More Information

• Click here to go directly to the Good Jobs Hawai`i website

• Click here for the good jobs UHCC site for participants (students interested in course) and broad employer information

• Click here for the link to the healthcare sector partnership page: Healthcare Sector Partnership | Chamber of Commerce Hawaii

Nurse Residency and Nurse Transition-to-Specialty

The Hawai‘i State Center for Nursing leads the Hawai‘i Nurse Residency Program Partnership, which focuses on retaining newly hired graduate RNs during their critical first year of employment. The transition from classroom learning to the real-world clinical settings is a vulnerable period when many new nurses leave either their organization or the profession entirely. Hawai‘i’s year-long Nurse Residency Program helps reduce the turnover of new graduate nurses, ultimately leading to the retention of highly qualified and skilled clinicians.

Learn more about the Hawai‘i Nurse Residency Program Partnership here.

Under the Nurse Residency Program, there are Acute Care and Long Term Care specific curriculums. The Acute Care Nurse Residency Program in FY2024 reported:

• 227 new graduate enrollments;

• 286 preceptor training enrollments; and

• 621 graduates from the prior enrollment period.

The Long Term Care Nurse Residency Program was piloted in FY2024 with one employer partner and reported:

• 12 participants in the first cohort; and

• 9 preceptors completed specialized training to support the program’s activities.

The Hawai‘i State Center for Nursing partnered with HealthStream to develop a robust Nurse Transition-to-Specialty education program, to help provide nurses the additional training and expertise needed to transition into specialty roles. The specialty curriculum covers more than 40 topics across 19 specialty areas including: critical care, oncology, renal disease, cardiac care, gerontology, and behavioral health.

HAH partnered with the Hawai‘i State Center for Nursing to promote the Transition-to-Specialty program and secure funding through Good Jobs Hawai‘i. The goal for FY2024 was to enroll at least 100 participants. Implementation far exceeded that goal with:

• 257 student enrollments in 2023; and

• 306 enrollments in FY2024.