Question: Are there organizations developing training programs for Lahaina residents? There will be rebuilding, so this is an opportunity to pay them while they retrain in jobs to rebuild Lahaina. They need work.
Answer: Yes, various efforts are underway. The U.S. Department of Labor on Monday announced an initial award of $10.5 million to support disaster-related jobs. The National Dislocated Worker Grant, which could grow to $21 million, allows Hawaii’s Department of Labor and Industrial Relations “to provide people with temporary jobs focused on cleaning up debris and repairing damage caused by the fires, and providing humanitarian assistance to the wildfire survivors,” the U.S. DOL said in a news release.
We followed up with the state DLIR asking how Maui residents affected by the wildfires should apply for these jobs, how much they will pay and how long they will last. A DLIR spokesperson said those details were not yet available but would be released soon.
The DLIR does have a web page devoted to job-seeking resources and jobless aid for workers displaced by the fire. Go to the DLIR home page at labor.hawaii.gov and click on “Maui Wildfires.” There are links to apply for unemployment insurance or disaster unemployment assistance (for those who don’t qualify for standard UI), information about job training and job fairs, and a portal to apply for Maui jobs available before the DOL’s Monday announcement.
Another opportunity is the Good Jobs Hawaiʻi initiative, which offers free job training through the University of Hawaii Maui College and other online programs through the UH Community College System. Offerings include Carpenter Pre-Apprenticeship, 3D CAD: Intro to Products and Advanced Manufacturing, and Clean Energy courses in the skilled trades; Pharmacy Technician, Phlebotomy Technician, Patient Services Rep and Registered Behavior Technician courses in the health care sector; and IT courses including CyberSecurity, Amazon Web Services certifications and CompTIA certifications, according to the UHCC website.
Go to the Good Jobs Hawai‘i website at uhcc.hawaii.edu/goodjobshawaii for details and to apply for current training programs, which can lead to employment, paid internships and/or apprenticeships in health care, skilled trades and technology industries. Enrollment and associated costs, such as books and fees for industry certification exams, are free for most eligible applicants, according to the website.
Maui residents displaced by the wildfires are rushing to apply for disaster relief, as well as filing insurance claims, searching for jobs, seeking long-term housing and handling countless other essential tasks to rebuild their lives. Many tasks require them to fill out applications online or upload documents — they need strong, reliable internet access to do it. Several readers have reached out asking Kokua Line to put out the call for internet providers to boost the Wi-Fi available at hotels housing wildfire survivors, saying that the high volume of users can make online access slow or spotty.
Q: Regarding the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s removal of hazardous household waste from the burned-out homes and businesses in Lahaina, will the property owner have to pay for this later?
A: No, the property owner won’t be charged a fee for this service, which is getting underway in Lahaina after having been completed over the weekend at Upcountry Maui properties that burned in the wildfires.
Officials haven’t said how long it will take take to remove all the hazardous material, which will be shipped out of Hawaii for disposal.
Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 7-500, Honolulu, HI 96813; call 808-529-4773; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
