On this special edition of the Voice of Business Podcast presented by ALTRES focused on Education and Workforce Development, Jo McGarry interviews Eddie Ontai, President of DataHouse Consulting, Inc., and Keala Peters, Executive Vice President, Education and Workforce Development at the Chamber of Commerce Hawaii. Ontai and Peters discuss the exciting IT Sector Partnership collaborative that is bringing employers, community partners, and educators together to build a local, highly skilled IT workforce.
Technology skills are needed in every sector in Hawaii, with the demand for talent outpacing the current supply. Through a Kindergarten to Career IT Pathway Project, IT leaders are focused on offering students a sequence of experiences that increases awareness of IT careers, provides internship and training opportunities, and ensures what is being taught aligns with the skills and competencies employers are seeking. We can keep our top talent in the islands while ensuring local businesses do not have to recruit from the mainland. Listen and learn how you can join over 70 local businesses to build a bridge between the education system and the business community to help Hawaii’s youth get ready to thrive in local IT jobs.