Over 300 students from Keaau High School and 30 businesses and organizations participated Tuesday in the school’s first-ever ClimbHI Exposure Fair.
Organized by Hawaii workforce development nonprofit ClimbHI, the event focused on providing the entire freshman class with a better understanding of workforce opportunities on Hawaii Island.
“Exposure Fairs help engage students throughout junior high and high school so they have the tools to select career pathways that best meet their goals,” Julie Morikawa, president of ClimbHI, said in a press release. “We work to reach students with events and opportunities as they progress toward graduation so they are well prepared to enter the workforce or post-secondary education.”
Exposure Fairs offer hand-selected businesses and organizations the ability to present to students in short “speed-dating” style segments. These events are designed to provide students with information and connections and are followed by additional opportunities such as a ClimbHI Hiring Blitz closer to graduation.
The Hiring Blitz serves as the final step for many students who are building relationships with local businesses and organizations throughout middle and high school in Exposure Fairs, ClimbHI LEI, as well as connections through ClimbHI’s Bridge portal.
Reimagining and streamlining the hiring process creates much greater interest and more connections than a typical career fair. Importantly, these events link students up with career paths that offer economic self-sufficiency with a clear progression plan.
Tuesday’s event included businesses and organizations representing a variety of industries, such as banking, hospitality, health care, education, trades and the military.
ClimbHI is inviting teachers, businesses, associations and nonprofit organizations to sign up for the free ClimbHI Bridge online portal at https://climbhi.org/portals/ for workforce development and classroom engagement opportunities, volunteer hour tracking and communication tools, and more.
This portal is used by hundreds of schools and businesses statewide, reaching nearly 300,000 students since it was launched in 2021.
