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December 9, 2009
KIHEI, MAUI -- With the national unemployment rate now over 9%, the popular High Tech Maui Holiday Career Fair has become a pivotal starting point for local college graduates, former residents living on the mainland, as well as current residents.
The December 28th event will again be held in Ke Alahele – the MEDB Center, at the Maui Research & Technology Park, 12 noon – 4 pm.
The Holiday Career Fair offers applicants a chance to meet and discuss their qualifications in person with top science and technology personnel. At the same time, it gives Maui-based companies the opportunity to relay the latest job information and recruit Hawaii students and former residents who come home for the holidays.
According to Jenilynne Salvador, Project Manager for the Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB), STEM jobs are not only available in Maui, but also on the other islands.
The fact remains that some employers can’t find enough qualified people for good-paying positions.
“There are jobs in engineering, nursing, computer science and energy research that go unfilled because companies can’t find people on the island with the right experience,” she said. “It creates an excellent opportunity for qualified kama’aina who would have normally looked for work on the mainland to find a comparable job back home.”
Overall, employers are finding it especially hard to find accountants, health care workers, software sales representatives, actuaries, data analysts, physical therapists and electrical engineers, labor analysts say.
And those that demand highly specialized training – like biotech firms that need plant scientists or energy companies that need geotechnical engineers – struggle even more to fill jobs.
“MEDB has been focusing its efforts on science, technology, engineering and math education with our current and future workforce in mind,” said Salvador. “We have a shortage of people with these skills. If we invest in STEM now, the jobs will be there.”
Companies featured at the Career Fair will include Akimeka, The Boeing Company, Hnu Photonics LLC & Hnu Energy LLC, Lockheed Martin, Maui High Performance Computing Center, Monsanto, Oceanit, Pacific Disaster Center, and more.
Jobseekers are encouraged to pre-register online and/or upload resumes for employer review at www.hightechmaui.com.
For more information, contact Jeni Salvador at 808-875-2332 or email jeni@medb.org.
MEDB's High Tech Maui Holiday Career Fair is co-sponsored by Kama`aina Careers and funded in part by the U.S. Department of Labor and the County of Maui.
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