Employers

Employers are key to the sustained growth of Hawaii’s economy.  WDD is proud to work with our local employers to help them meet their training and hiring needs. WDD helps employers find qualified workers, technical assistance, tuition subsidies, and variety of other services to meet their needs.

Training

Apprenticeships
For contractors and employers, hiring qualified employees from officially approved, registered apprenticeship programs makes good business sense. By hiring apprentices from an officially approved and registered programs in the State of Hawai‘i, contractors and employers are guaranteed a highly skilled and competent workforce that produces consistent and quality results.

Employment and Training Fund (ETF)

Employers that participate in the ETF Micro Program can obtain training subsidies for 50% of tuition cost up to a cap of $1,000 per course.

Business Support

HireNet Hawaiʻi 
Hirenet Hawaiʻi is designed with Hawaiʻi’s businesses in mind. Employers are able to post their job openings, search through resumes for possible candidates, access industry statistics and much more. Employers may also receive direct referrals from HireNet Hawaiʻi’s virtual recruiter to assure they get the best match for their positions. Most importantly, all of these services are available at not cost.

American Job Centers (AJCs) 
Services to businesses include job posting assistance, matching job seekers to your needs, tax incentive programs, and labor market information.

Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA)
Employers may provide assistance in filing petitions for benefits and services for workers adversely affected by international trade.

Services for Military Veterans
Specialized staff known as Local Veterans Employment Representative (LVER) are available to assist employers who are seeking to hire veterans with specific skills and experiences. LVER staffs are military veterans themselves and have received specialized training at the National Veterans Training Institute (NVTI).  They understand how to bridge the skills and experiences of veterans with that of the job requirements in local industries.

Migrant and Seasonal Farmworker (MSFW) Outreach Program

The Migrant and Seasonal Farmworker (MSFW) Outreach Program collaborates with community-based organizations (National Farmworker Jobs Program) to offer the full range of employment services to agricultural employers and farmworkers.

State Workforce Advisory Boards
These Boards advise the department on strategies for developing the industry workforce, including recommending projects and programs to promote the expansion and development of the industry.

Hiring Incentives

Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC)
The WOTC is a federal tax credit that employers can claim for investing in new employees who face barriers to employment as identified by the U.S. Department of Labor.

Federal Bonding
As job seekers, everyone has the right to find a meaningful career path. However, some at-risk job seekers have great difficulty in finding meaningful employment. To help these job seekers find new careers, the Federal Bonding Program was implemented to provide additional peace of mind for employers when hiring these individuals.

HIRE Vets Medallion Award
Pursuant to the Honoring Investments in Recruiting and Employing American Military Veterans Act of 2017 (HIRE Vets Act) enacted on May 5, 2017, the federal Department of Labor Veterans’ Employment and Training Service developed and formalized the HIRE Vets Medallion Program to recognize employers of all sizes for their efforts to recruit, employ, and retain our nation’s veterans. The HIRE Vets Medallion Award is the only federal-level veterans’ employment award that recognizes a company or organization’s commitment to employment of veterans.