From Crisis to Opportunity: Building Hawaiʻi’s Workforce Resilience
January 2025
Created by: Matt Stevens, Executive Director - Hawaiʻi Workforce Funders Collaborative
This report from the Hawaiʻi Workforce Funders Collaborative analyzes Hawaiʻi's workforce crisis, highlighting a significant shortfall of living-wage jobs for young people entering the workforce. It examines interconnected challenges, including job quality, geographic disparities, and training misalignment, and presents case studies illustrating these issues' impact on individuals. The report proposes recommendations to improve work-based learning, expand sector partnerships, enhance reskilling initiatives, and strengthen career counseling, advocating for a unified statewide approach to achieve 100% access to family-sustaining careers by 2035. Finally, the report outlines actionable steps for various stakeholders to contribute to this vision.
KEY INSIGHTS
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The report outlines a vision to ensure that by 2035, 100% of working-age residents in Hawaiʻi have access to family-sustaining, future-ready careers
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Hawai'i faces a complex, interconnected workforce crisis including: a shortage of living-wage jobs; many jobs that don't meet standards for "good jobs"; geographic disparities; training programs not aligned with future needs; systemic stress; and critical sector shortages.
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Approximately 167,787 young residents will enter the workforce over the next decade, but projections show only 120,290 job openings that pay a living wage for a single adult. This means that nearly 30% of new workforce entrants may not find viable opportunities in Hawai'i.
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A "good job" is defined by more than just wages. It encompasses factors such as the ability to fulfill family obligations, community impact, environmental sustainability, and support for physical and mental health.
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The report recommends:
Expanding work-based learning opportunities in all schools and communities
Develop lifelong learning and reskilling for emerging sectors
Investing in sector-based strategies, particularly in areas like childcare, sustainable agriculture, and mental health services
Strengthening career counseling and navigational support for students and job seekers
Supporting unified workforce strategies through the State Unified Plan
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The State Unified Plan is a collaborative effort among state agencies to align workforce development strategies and resources under a unified framework. It emphasizes a clear "north star goal" and a coordinated approach to workforce development.
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The report provides actionable steps for various stakeholders, including employers, educators, government agencies, nonprofits, and more. The report is intended to act as a catalyst for connections, and the HWFC welcomes feedback and actions that stakeholders are taking to address workforce challenges.
