Hawaiʻi Workforce Funders Collaborative: From Crisis to Opportunity: Building Hawaiʻi’s Workforce Resilience

Photo credit: Matt Stevens/Hawaiʻi Workforce Funders Collaborative/2025

Hawaiʻi Workforce Funders Collaborative
January 2025
By Matt Stevens

“Of the 170,000 youth entering Hawaiʻi’s workforce over the next decade, nearly 30% will face a lack of viable opportunities to build a sustainable future here. The consequences of inaction are clear: continued loss of local talent, stagnant economic growth, and an inability to meet the evolving needs of Hawaiʻi’s communities. The decisions made today will determine whether the next generation of workers can find quality jobs that allow them to remain rooted in their communities or be forced to seek opportunities elsewhere. This report outlines a bold and collaborative vision: ensuring that by 2035, 100% of working-age residents have access to family-sustaining, future-ready careers.”