Community News

Haseko Training Fund Awards $45,000 in Grants

The Haseko Training Fund awarded a $30,000 grant to the Hawai'i Building Industry Foundation's Project ComPact:  Building Skills to Build Lives program, and a $15,000 grant to James Campbell High School's award-winning Agricultural Learning Center in October.

"Haseko is fortunate to be able to help with these much needed programs and to help Hawai'i's residents and businesses," said Adam Sutton, executive vice president of Haseko Construction.  "The BIA's Construction Training Center of the Pacific is a very important initiative, and a long term investment in Hawai'i.

"This generous grant from the Haseko Training Fund will support our community educational outreach programs," said Karen Nakamaura, executive director of the Hawai'i Building Industry Foundation.  "We target non-traditional

students who are unemployed and underemployed, so these funds will provide opportunities for participants to gain the necessary knowledge and job skills for entry level positions in the construction industry."

The donation comes on the heels of another $50,000 grant awarded to the program by the Haseko Training Fund last year.

James Campbell High School's principal says the $15,000 grant to the Agricultural Learning Center comes at an opportune time, as the program is seeking to sustain itself in the face of threatened state budget cuts.

"JCHS's Agricultural Learning Center is an excellent training ground for students who wish to pursue careers in the industry." said Sharene Saito Tam, assistant vice president of Haseko.

"Under the guidance of Derek Chow, students gain hands-on experience that helps prepare them for the future and even build businesses of their own."

That hands-on learning opportunity is one of the attractions of the program for students.

In addition to the $45,000 given out this Fall, the Haseko Training Fund also awarded four $1,000 vocational education scholarships to 'Ewa Beach residents enrolled in the community college system.

The Hawai'i Community Foundation administers the Haseko Training Fund.  For more information on the fund or to apply, please call 566-5550 or log on to www.hawaiicommunityfoundation.org.