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Rapid Response Services for Job Seekers

The Workforce Development Council (WDC) partners with federal, state and county agencies to train and build a skilled workforce that meets the needs of Hawaii employers. Core WDC partners are co-located in American Job Centers (AJCs) located on Oahu, Maui, Kauai and Hawaii Island. Also called One Stop Centers, the AJCs offer job seekers tools and resources to secure employment. Centrally located in Honolulu, Lihue, Hilo, and Kahului, AJC resources include FREE use of computers, phones, and fax machines for job searches, financial planning and stress management workshops, financial support for training, and income support if jobs were lost due to foreign trade. Tools include matching employer job openings with qualified job seekers, and assisting with individualized needs, including special services for veterans and adults with disabilities. Customers access services through self-service or with the assistance of staff. Other services for job seekers include:

  • Career counseling and job search assistance;
  • Resume preparation and interviewing skills workshops;
  • Individualized case management services and identifying pathways to career;
  • Job search workshops that teach skills needed to find and keep a job;
  • Assisted access to the internet-based jobs board, HireNet Hawaii, to match qualified job seekers with employers’ job openings;
  • Referral to education, training, and supportive services;
  • Occupational Skills – Workers willing to train for a new occupation may be able to receive free tuition and books for short-term skills training;
  • Basic Education – Workers can improve their basic English and math skills or receive a high school General Educational Development (GED) diploma; and
  • On-The-Job Training – Workers who want a career change can receive subsidized on-the-job training where an employer can be reimbursed for extraordinary training costs.

Contact your local American Job Center for information about FREE workforce support programs and services.

Oahu – Dole Cannery
680 Iwilei Road, Suite 700
Honolulu, HI 96817
(808) 586-8877
Email: [email protected]		 Hawaii Island –
88 Kanoelehua Avenue, Suite A-204
Hilo, HI 96720
(808) 586-8877
Email: [email protected]
Kauai – Lihue Civic Center
4444 Rice Street, Suite 302
Lihue, HI 96766
(808) 586-8877
Email: [email protected]		 Maui – Economic Development Complex
70 E. Kaahumanu Avenue
Maui Mall, Unit B-9
Kahului, HI 96732
(808) 586-8877
Email: [email protected]

 

The local AJCs and their network of community partners strive to train and build a skilled workforce that meets the needs of Hawaii employers. This includes providing Rapid Response services following the receipt of a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN). Rapid Response teams operate out of the AJCs and mobilize to assist individuals in returning to work as soon as possible following a business closure or downsizing. Rapid Response services are designed to prevent layoffs whenever possible, to limit the impact of change on workers, and to help workers transition to their next employment opportunity, as quickly as possible. If your employer has decided to shut down or reduce business operations, have them contact the Statewide Rapid Response Coordinator to request a Rapid Response session for the employees who will be impacted by a business. Information provided during the two-hour Rapid Response session includes:

Links to Additional Information for Dislocated Workers

Links to Unemployment Insurance Information