LEI 2016 Program on Hawaii News Now

HONOLULU – In April of 2016, ClimbHI and the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority (HTA) will kick off the 5th annual LEI (Leadership, Exploration, and Inspiration) program. Sponsored by HTA, LEI is the largest workforce development program in Hawai‘i, and was created to inspire Hawai‘i’s youth to select careers in the local visitor industry. LEI 2016 will take place on four different islands (Kaua‘i on April 6, O‘ahu on April 8, Maui on April 13, and Hawai‘i Island on April 15-16) and will engage more than 800 high school students and 100 college students from across the state, and involve more than 85 businesses.

The LEI program is an opportunity for youth to hear directly from the hospitality industry about career paths available to them, and also an opportunity for the tourism industry to recruit local employees and encourage them to aspire to management positions. The day-long program on each island features speeches from government and industry leaders, tours of participating hotels, and a cultural training program. The youth participants will get to learn about careers in the hospitality industry, as well as college/university opportunities at the career fair at the end of the day.

ClimbHI is still looking for businesses to participate in the career fair to be held at the end of each day on each island during the LEI program. To sign up for the career fair, email info@climbhi.org or visit climbhi.org.