As the school year winds down, two of Oahu’s biggest summer day care programs once again are scrambling to hire workers.
Officials for the Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation’s Summer Fun program and the YMCA of Honolulu say the staffing situation isn’t nearly as dire as a year ago, when they were ramping up after the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic, but there are still plenty of openings.
Now back to full capacity, the city’s Summer Fun program, which runs June 13 through July 28, can accommodate up to 9,000 youngsters at 53 locations around Oahu. It is open to keiki who will be 6 years old by Aug. 1 and not older than 13 by July 28.
The city-run program, first offered in 1944, is about two-thirds of the way toward hiring the staff it needs, according to spokesperson Nathan Serota. He said there are still about 130 openings.
Minimum pay for recreation aides is $15.56 an hour, with higher pay for student, swim and therapeutic recreation aides.
“We can take new Summer Fun aides until about a week before the program (which begins June 13), so we are still pushing to get more staff,” he said in an email. “The bottom line is, the more staff we get the more keiki we can accommodate.”
Many Summer Fun hires are college students home on break and younger people looking for some kind of work before they start their careers, Serota said, resulting in high turnover from season to season.
The program also is looking for volunteer Junior Leaders, who must be 13 years old before Aug. 1 and no older than 17 by July 28. In 2022 the 868 Junior Leaders contributed a combined 860,000 hours of service to the program, he said.
The YMCA of Honolulu has received 3,200-plus keiki registrations for its summer youth programs. At the same time, there are 60 staff openings for its summer day camp and other child care programs at seven YMCA locations: Camp Erdman, Kaimuki-Waialae, Kalihi, Leeward, Mililani, Nuuanu and Windward; community day camp locations at Nuuanu Congregational Church, Nuuanu Elementary School and St. Theresa School; and about a dozen off-site locations.
Starting pay is $13 an hour for hires with no experience.
Another 10 open positions are for swim instructors and lifeguards at the Leeward, Nuuanu, Mililani and Windward branches.
“It was a little more stressful last year. It’s gotten a lot better,” said Jaclyn Tacto, senior director of talent management for the YMCA of Honolulu.
Summer day camp workers must be at least 18 years old. As with the city’s Summer Fun program, Tacto said many are college students, which makes it difficult to secure work commitments beyond summer. The positions are part time, but she said additional hours can be arranged for those desiring full-time work.
Paid training is provided to youth group leaders and new swim instructors, and lifeguards can be reimbursed for lifeguard certification class fees after 90 days of employment. Other benefits include free gym membership.
In 2022 the YMCA offered a $300 retention bonus to current and new hires who worked at least 15 hours a week through the summer, and a $250 bonus to staff who referred new hires. This year the $250 referral bonus is in play.
To streamline the hiring process, the YMCA is hosting “Summer Instant Hire Days” at its Kaimuki-Waialae and Kailua locations for youth program leaders, lifeguards, swim instructors and other positions. The first was held Wednesday, with a second scheduled for 2 to 6 p.m. May 24.
Tacto said another hiring event is being planned for July to recruit workers for after-school programs in the new school year.
The Department of Parks and Recreation resumed online Summer Fun registration for keiki this year, based on park district. Registration, at pros.hnl.info, started Monday and runs through today. Today’s registration is for District 5 (Central Oahu), starting at 4 p.m.
Those without access to a computer or the internet should call their desired Summer Fun site to coordinate registration.
“It looked like almost all of the District 1 locations (from Hawaii Kai to McCully) filled up very quickly,” Serota said. “We did have a few people who lined up in person at a few park sites, but staff were able to inform them about the online registration.”
A list of the 2023 Summer Fun sites and contact information are available at bit.ly/SummerFunMap. Due to inadequate staffing or other issues, Serota said Summer Fun will not be offered at Kanewai Community Park, Palolo Valley District Park and the Keolu and Sunset Beach sites.
SUMMER JOBS
>> The Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation provides an online application for college students interested in Summer Fun program jobs at bit.ly/applysummer fun. All other adults should call the Summer Fun site where they are interested in working or visit bit.ly/dprsummerhire for more information. To register as a volunteer Junior Leader, contact specific program sites for information.
>> The YMCA of Honolulu is hosting a “Summer Instant Hire Day” from 2 to 4 p.m. May 24 at its Kaimuki- Waialae and Kailua locations for summer program leaders, lifeguards, swim instructors and other positions. Applicants also may schedule an interview by phone or Zoom by calling 808-541-5407 or via email at jobs@ ymcahonolulu.org.
