‘Keep the government moving,’ City departments look to fill vacant roles

HONOLULU (KHON2) — Hawaii is on a hiring push, and city officials said the timing couldn’t be better.

Skyline segment two is preparing to launch service to the airport and Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam with a major stop at Ahua Station near Lagoon Drive.

The City’s Department of Transportation said the station will become a key connection point.

“We’re looking for an October-ish opening, and from this point, we’re going to be at the airport. We’re going to be at Lagoon and then Middle, but this is where we’re going to concentrate on getting our downtown buses into Waikiki into UH,” explained Roger Morton, Department of Transportation Services Director.

With new infrastructure comes new demands. From transportation to design, facility maintenance to city planning, more than a dozen departments are actively hiring.

“Think the city is maybe about 57% filled and we have a lot of vacancies and we need to keep the government moving. So this job fair is really important to us,” said Lori Kahikina, Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation Executive Director and CEO.

The event will be on Wednesday, July 30 at the Blaisdell Center and will bring representatives from nearly every city department together, including the Honolulu Police Department.

HPD said it’s offering a $25,000 hiring bonus to new recruits. Sergeant Walter Espiritu said he is grateful to be an officer and proud to wear the uniform.

“It’s almost not a job but a calling. When I started, we only made about $48,000 a year. It’s quite some time ago and it’s definitely something you’re called to and want to have that feeling of being a part of something bigger and making something better for the community,” he said.

The career expo runs from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.