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DLIR says Helei Imua placed nearly 1,200 interns; summer youth pilot reaches Title I schools
Summary
At a Jan. 12 Senate briefing, DLIR Director Jade Butay described Helei Imua (paid internships for college students and recent graduates), reporting nearly 1,200 placements and about 130 transitions into state jobs; DLIR also summarized a federally funded summer youth pilot that placed 282 students last summer and includes financial-literacy workshops.
Jade Butay, director of the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, told the Senate Committee on Labor and Technology on Jan. 12 that the department’s workforce-development programs are focused on creating early-career pipelines. Butay said the Helei Imua internship program — aimed at college students and recent graduates — has placed nearly 1,200 interns across state departments and that about 130 of those interns have transitioned into regular state jobs.
Why it matters: DLIR staff and senators framed the programs as investments in future workers that can reduce brain drain and fill demand careers. The committee pressed DLIR on funding, scalability and private-sector expansion of the Helei Imua model.
Program details and outcomes: DLIR described Helei Imua as paid, hands-on placements that expose interns to public-service work; the department reported 130 conversions of interns into state employment. DLIR also outlined a summer youth employment pilot focused on Title I high schools that began in 2022 and served about 282 students last summer. The program runs six to eight weeks, pays above minimum wage, and includes weekly financial-literacy workshops provided on Oʻahu by the Hawaii Federal Credit Union to prepare students for payroll deductions and saving.
DLIR said it has begun a pilot to expand Helei Imua placements into a small private-sector agricultural cohort (three interns) and that staff are planning outreach to target growth industries such as technology. Committee members asked how costs would scale if the state expanded the summer youth program and whether the state could supplement federal funding with appropriations; Butay said the department could accept state appropriations to expand the federal summer youth program, but exact per-student state costs would depend on hours, pay rates and the number of weeks. DLIR offered to provide cost estimates on request.
Testimony and student perspectives: The department played a short video of interns describing hands-on work in tax processing, communications, entrepreneurship, and other placements; several testimonial speakers credited the internships with improving communication and workplace skills and, in some cases, leading to hire decisions.
Unresolved or unclear details: In the hearing a budget figure was spoken but not consistently recorded in the transcript; the department said federal funds support the summer youth program and that state appropriations could supplement or expand it if the legislature so chooses. The committee requested cost-per-student figures and other program metrics for later follow-up.
Next steps: DLIR said it will provide additional cost and scaling information upon request. Committee members expressed support for expanding opportunities into growth industries and for considering state appropriations to expand summer youth offerings.
