Job Challenge Academy supports Hawaiʻi youth and their transition into adulthood

In a classroom at the Keaukaha Military Reservation in Hilo, seven young adults write notes as they listened to an instructor go over a lesson about small engine repairs.

Although the class is five hours, the students stay attentive and are eager to learn something new, because an opportunity to earn college credit is hard to pass up for the first group of 17- to 20-year-olds participating in the Hawaiʻi National Guard Job Challenge Academy in Hilo.

This is an optional, additional program for graduates of the Hawaiʻi National Guard Youth Challenge Academy to continue preparing for a career and help the transition into adulthood. The new program provides more education, life skills development and career support.

The Job Challenge Academy is the replacement for Hiloʻs Youth Challenge program, which closed due to low enrollment. The program at Kalaeloa on Oʻahu is still open for youth 16 to 18-years old from across the state looking for a second chance to earn a high school equivalency diploma.

“The biggest benefits of this change are now the Kalaeloa program will increase its enrollment, keeping it safe,” said Bruce Oliveira, Civilian Military Programs Director for the Hawaiʻi National Guard. “And it gives Hawaiʻi a new phase to the Youth Challenge providing them with an additional 5.5 months of structure and support.”

Job Challenge participants, who are called associates, must be graduates from the National Guard Youth Challenge program and be 17 to 20-years old when they start.

“Sometimes, the things cadets learned through Youth Challenge can fall away, or when they turn 18, they are forced to leave their home and have nowhere to go,” Program Director Kolby Proctor said. “The idea and the goal of Job Challenge is to give young people the chance to get their life started with an additional layer of structure and some extra time to get set up in a career path they want.”

Through the new Job Challenge Academy in Hilo, associates have the opportunity to gain post-secondary education credentials, such as a certificate of course completion for college or an industry-based certification that they can use in the job market as an entry point into an occupational trade.

“Associates now have the time to get situated in life and start working toward their goals,” Proctor said. “They donʻt have to worry about finding a place to live or affording food. They can focus on earning certifications that they can put on a resume for future jobs.”

Although this group is not set to graduate until Dec. 13, the program is proving to be successful.

“I’ve made a lot of progress from the beginning to now and I have really liked the experience,” said 19-year-old Tamar Binejal. “I have dreams now when I only had one goal at a time before. Now, I want to continue working as a [Certified Nursing Assistant] because I love it.”

Binejal is one of the class of 12, made up of four women and eight men. The class was purposely made small in case quick changes needed to be made.

“This is only the seventh Job Challenge program in the U.S., so we did not know what to expect in the first semester,” Proctor said. “We wanted to start off small in case we needed to make changes, but we’re excited to be able to open up to more people. I have room for 42 each semester.”

In the first semester of Job Challenge, associates could choose between two primary pathways that would provide the training necessary to get started in two different jobs: construction or Certified Nurse Assistant.

According to Proctor, two of the associates were recruited to work by companies in the construction industry and already have started employment with them while attending the Job Challenge. 

For associates in the Certified Nurse Assistant training program, they will have jobs waiting for them at Life Care Center or Hale Anuenue after they pass their state board exams. 

“When we started Job Challenge, we didn’t know what to expect, but to see some of them get recruited to work while they’re still here is amazing. Now, they have a leg-up in the job market, which is huge,” Proctor said.

The Job Challenge Academy is using the same facilities as Youth Challenge at the Keaukaha Military Reservation, which could house 100 each semester. However, Proctor installed partitions in the bunks to give them more individual privacy as they reach adulthood.

Since Job Challenge plans to expand and have more associates next semester, they have raised the number of primary pathways from two to nine.

The new primary pathways include: Medical Administrative Assistant; Culinary; Medical Billing and Coding; Massage Therapy; ITC Learning Online Course; Body Sculpting, Laser Lipolysis and Wood Therapy; and Permanent Make-up, Brow Waxing, Lamination and Tint.

There are also secondary pathways for associates interested in earning multiple certifications. Those include: Forklift Operator Training; UAV Drone Camp; Small Engine Repair; Teen Community Emergency Response Team; Natural Disaster Preparedness Training; Hawaiʻi Driver’s Permit Exam; ServSafe Certification; and Website Design. 

Some of the certifications are done through Hawaiʻi Community College and Job Challenge associates can earn college credits that they can further build on toward an associate or bachelor’s degree. However, some certifications are through other vendors and can lead to a full-time job.

Partners of the Job Challenge Academy include: Hawaiʻi Community College; Hoku’s Nurse Aide Training Program; Associate Builders and Contractors; Hawaiʻi County Civil Defense Agency; American Red Cross; Big Island Driving Academy; Waisted by KAYC; Hale Lomilomi o Kekaimalino School and Clinic; and Employment Experts Temp Agency. 

While they work on earning certifications and honing in their job skills, associates are also learning how to be effective leaders, best health and hygiene practices, money management, basics of home maintenance, responsible citizenship and how to serve and support the community.  

On Thursday, associates attended regular academics courses from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., attended a drone class from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. or the small engine repair class from 3 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., and had the option of taking the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery test during the day. Over the weekend, they will be volunteering at the Christmas Extravaganza Craft Fair while keeping up with their studies. 

“When I talk about Job Challenge with our community partners, legislators, or higher ups, I tell them that they may not see perfect success right away, but no matter what, we will build this into a bigger program,” Proctor said. “For me, I am already seeing success through what (associates) learn while they’re here. When they pass their tests, when they learn something new about themselves, or realize what they want to do.” 

Two Job Challenge associates, who were uninterested in college when they started the program, have since changed their minds. They both applied and have been accepted into university programs.

“Whatever pathway associates choose, they will be better set up for the future,” Proctor said.

Binejal said: “I would recommend Job Challenge for teens who just donʻt know what to do with their life. This is a great place to start off, because they wonʻt know what to do until they try it.”

An official dedication ceremony for the Job Challenge Academy has been scheduled for Friday, Jan. 17 from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

For more information or to apply to Job Challenge, call or text (808) 430-4184, or email admissions.yca.hilo@hawaii.gov.