Discounts for School

Fund assists recently dislocated workers.

Dislocated workers may now apply for tuition to resume their college education, or obtain new job skills through non-credit instruction.

The University of Hawaii Community College System, in cooperation with the State of Hawaii Workforce Investment Board, announces the creation of a special education and training fund targeted for the recently dislocated workers. This fund will provide a one-time only 50% discount to the cost of tuition, up to a maximum of $500 per eligible laid-off employees.

The University of Hawaii Community Colleges will pledge $70,000 from its Rapid Response Fund, a fund created last year by the Legislature to meet workforce related high-demand training needs. It is expected that these discounted educational opportunities will provide incentive for these dislocated workers to return to an education program that will lead them to new careers and employment. These funds will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis until exhausted. This discount will expire on June 30, 2009.

Participants must be laid-off former employees of Aloha Airlines, ATA Airlines, Molokai Properties Limited, NCL America or the Weyerhaeuser Corporation. All participants will be certified as eligible by the Workforce Investment Board’s One-Stop Center in the County where UH Community Colleges deliver courses.

For those former employees of Molokai Properties Limited who want to participate must be certified as eligible by Workforce Development Worksource Molokai. Applications can be obtained at the Maui Community College Molokai Education Center or at Worksource Molokai.

Questions about the program should be directed to Vaughn Baker, Director of Workforce Development, Office of the Vice President for Community Colleges. Telephone: 808-956-5145, or via email baker1@hawaii.edu.