HONOLULU (KHON2) — Carpenters, millwrights, drywall workers, electricians, the need for skilled laborers is growing thanks to the booming construction industry.
“There are a lot of viable options for people who like working with their hands, like working outdoor, like doing physical labor,” said Rep. Scot Matayoshi, Labor and Government Operations Committee Chair. “There’s a lot of work coming down the pipeline.”
Unions like the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers 1186 (IBEW) are taking applications 24/7 to ensure they have the workforce they need.
“We used to bring in about 40 per year, maybe two classes per year, just this past year, we brought in 40, in one class,” said Damien Kim, IBEW 1186 Business Manager. “We’re looking at bringing in a total of close to 100, I believe, this year.”
KHON2 asked Kim if now is the ideal time to join, to which he responded:
Now’s a perfect time to get into a trade.
Damien Kim, IBEW 1186 Business Manager
The Hawaii Carpenters Apprenticeship & Training Fund says they recently shifted from two open enrollment periods a year, to ongoing monthly open enrollment periods for apprentice carpenters.
In Kakaako, there are at least 12 planned condominium projects helping to fuel the demand for skilled laborers.
According to Kim, several developers like Kamehameha Schools are getting back into developing and he says the government is also playing a key role in the construction boom.
“With affordable housing now, and the governor just signing a bill yesterday regarding condominiums, Biden’s infrastructure bill, inflation reduction act, that is all helped with a lot more work,” Kim added.