Twenty-five local high school students recently completed the Hawaii Carpenters Apprenticeship & Training Fund’s Career Connections program, a six-week construction internship designed to provide hands-on experience in the trades.

Graduates gained invaluable experience through paid summer internships at major construction sites across the state, working with 10 general contractors, and are eligible for direct entry into the Hawaii Carpenters Apprenticeship & Training Fund’s apprenticeship program.

“Congratulations to our sixth group of students for completing this program,” Kapuni Patcho, HCATF training coordinator, said in a news release. “This program has been incredibly successful for the union, the trades and the construction industry. It allows students to gain hands-on experience and explore construction as a viable career.”

Now in its sixth year, the Career Connections program has graduated over 100 students, with 39 of them going on to join the Hawaii Regional Council of Carpenters. The program selects students through an application process, requiring them to complete prerequisite classes at their respective high schools.

This year’s program included partnerships with Artistic Builders Corporation (Maui), Bruce Matson Co. Inc., Gill Construction Inc., Group Builders Inc., Hawaiian Dredging  Construction Company Inc., Albert C. Kobayashi Inc. (O‘ahu and Maui), Nordic PCL Construction Inc., Shioi Construction Inc. (O‘ahu and Maui), Swinerton and Unlimited Construction Services Inc. This year, thee program also included a project on Lāna‘i for the first time.

Career Connections currently operates in 32 partner schools across O‘ahu and the neighbor islands, providing 40 hours of preparatory training that covers OSHA 10 and First Aid/CPR certifications, followed by a six-week, full-time internship at an active construction site. Interns work closely with mentors, including journeyworkers and field supervisors, to gain a realistic understanding of careers in construction.

Career Connections students have contributed to important projects across the state, including Hawai‘i’s first Amazon facility, the Hawai‘i State Veterans Home and the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa’s Mixed-Use Housing Project.

For more information about HCATF, visit hicarpenterstraining.com.