Leeward Community College is launching a fast-track, online certification program for industry professionals who want to teach career and technical education in Hawaii’s public schools.

"There is a terrific shortage of CTE teachers statewide," said assistant professor Roberta "Bobbie" Martel, coordinator of that program as well as the Associate of Arts in teaching at Leeward.

"We are hearing that many CTE programs are in peril of shutting down because they don’t have teachers in the wings to come in," she said. "We need teachers in fields like agriculture, automotive, culinary, graphic design. The alternative certification pathway is a way that folks from industry … can learn how to teach their content."

A meeting will be held today from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at Leeward’s campus in Pearl City to introduce the certification program as well as a separate, accelerated online program leading to an associate’s degree in teaching within 18 months. The information session will be held in Room GT-105.

Leeward has the only state-approved teacher education program for career and technical educators. The field, traditionally known as vocational education, covers a broad category of electives, from digital media to construction, and business to culinary arts.

While the certification program is offered online, it includes fieldwork and teaching experience in a classroom as well as active mentoring by faculty.

"The practicum will be happening at the same time that the students are taking the online courses," Martel said.

For professionals who already have a bachelor’s degree, the certification can be earned with nine credits and a two-credit practicum. It can be completed within a year. Those with an associate’s degree will need to take 15 credits plus the two-credit practicum.

Myles Yamamoto, career and technical education coordinator for the Central District, said the licensure program is sorely needed.

"We are pushing to have higher-level programs, however it is moot if we do not have the certified teachers to teach them," Yama­moto said. "Bobbie stepped in and got this thing moving."

He said the program can attract teachers with valuable industry know-how and passion for their subject, such as Randy Beltran, a nationally certified automotive technician and owner of Randy’s Auto Service. Beltran is taking courses at Leeward leading to alternative teaching certification and has already begun teaching at Radford, his alma mater, where he first learned how to work under the hood of a car.

"He is a jewel for Radford to pick up," Yama­moto said.

The other new program being unveiled at Leeward today is an Associate of Arts in teaching degree that can be completed in 18 months online.

Its graduates will be qualified as educational assistants or part-time teachers for kindergarten through 12th grade, or they may transfer to complete their bachelor’s degrees at the University of Hawaii or Cha­mi­nade University.

"The students go right into the College of Education and have a wonderful foundation on which to build," Martel said.

The program hopes to help build a homegrown teaching workforce on the Leeward Coast to combat high teacher turnover in the area, she said.

Leeward is accepting applications for the spring semester for both programs. The deadline to apply is Oct. 15.