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Committee backs $700,000 for sector partnerships to link employers, educators and students
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Summary
The committee recommended passing HB2411 with amendments and a standing committee report note to add $700,000 for seven sector partnerships. Testimony from the University of Hawaii, the Chamber and sector leaders stressed sector partnerships' role in aligning curricula, internships and employer needs to build career pathways.
The committee recommended HB2411 be passed with amendments and a standing committee note to add $700,000 to the special fund that supports sector partnerships statewide.
Witnesses from the University of Hawaii, the Chamber of Commerce Hawaii and sector partnership leaders testified that employer‑led sector partnerships create structured pathways from education to jobs by identifying in‑demand occupations, aligning curricula and facilitating work‑based learning. Vanessa Rogers of the Chamber said the seven active sector partnerships engaged about 900 employers and served roughly 2,500 students in workplace learning in 2025.
University of Hawaii representatives and sector coordinators described a program model that costs roughly $100,000 per sector per year for staffing, data management, facilitation and statewide travel; committee members asked for a line‑item budget and asked whether federal grants could be made sustainable. The committee recommended a $700,000 figure — the seven‑sector total — be added to the special fund as a priority in the standing committee report.
Committee members pressed on performance measures and urged recipients to report metrics such as employer engagement, internships placed and credential attainment. The committee adopted the recommendation to pass HB2411 with amendments to clarify the fund and to defer the effective date for technical alignment.
