Connecting students and job seekers with local technology companies is the goal of a series of free events sponsored through April by the University of Hawaii and the Chamber of Commerce Hawaii.

“Hawai‘i Tech Days of Spring 2024” is being supported by local organizations that want to “enhance Hawaii’s skilled IT (information technology) workforce and the rising demand for local jobs in the rapidly growing tech industry,” a UH news release said.

Alan Ito, IT workforce development and regulated policy lead at UH, said in the release that the events will aim to provide students, educators and others with opportunities to learn from and engage with IT employers. He expressed appreciation for industry leaders who have “shown their commitment to investing in workforce development initiatives that are cultivating our skilled local IT workforce and equipping our teachers with the knowledge to understand what opportunities are out there for their students.”

The event series kicked off in February and continues into April. Event partners in addition to UH and Chamber of Commerce Hawaii are IT Sector Partnership, CIO Council of Hawai‘i, Cyber Hawai‘i, Hawai‘i Defense Alliance, Thrive HI, the Pacific Asian Center for Entrepreneurship and the Association of Computing Machinery Student Chapter.

A full list of events and registration links are available at the series website, 808ne.ws/3Pza5nm. Events include:

>> “Entrepreneurship Live,” 5-7 p.m. today, RISE Building, UH Manoa: an opportunity to ask questions of a panel of UH alumni who are founders working in tech.

>> “Tech Professionals Interaction Night,” 6-8 p.m. Monday, UH Manoa Campus Center Ballroom: brings together members of the Information Technology Management Association and Association of Computing Machinery Student Chapter with professionals from their area of interest to help members improve networking skills and professional connections.

>> “Applying for a State/County Job,” 1-3 p.m. April 12, RISE Building, UH Manoa: Speakers from the state Department of Human Resources Development will talk through the process and requirements to apply for a state position, and other representatives will discuss the types of tech jobs being offered. Registration for students: 808ne.ws/4aaTMp1.

>> “IT Career Pathway Summit,” 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. April 16, Japanese Cultural Center: a gathering of industry and education partners to build connections and alignment to strengthen Hawaii’s IT career pathway.