Braced but unprepared: That’s the sober scouting report American teenagers have offered for their future in inheriting a generation’s legacy of environmental setbacks, a key report on innovation and science education said on Wednesday.

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Nearly 200 jobseekers flocked to the annual High Tech Maui Holiday Job Fair at Kihei’s Maui Research & Tech Park, for a day of information exchange and in some cases -- life-changing opportunity.

Of those attending the December 27th event, over 90% were kama’aina (Hawaiian for “child of the land”) which includes individuals going to college on the mainland or former residents interested in returning home to work.

Each year, the Maui Economic Development Board sponsors the popular High Tech Job Fair to give participants a chance to discuss their qualifications in person with top science and technology employers. At the same time, it provides Maui-based companies the opportunity to relay company information and recruit skilled kama’aina who are motivated to stay and live in Hawaii.

According to MEDB Project Manager Jenilynne Gaskin, the timing is really perfect for both parties. 

“The holidays are a great time to recruit kama’aina since they are back home in the islands, enjoying family, friends, sun and surf,” Gaskin said. “They appreciate returning to their roots…and no amount of employment marketing can buy that connection.”

This year’s jobseekers provided a diverse mix of experience including backgrounds in biotechnology, various fields of engineering, information technology, physics and more. 

Some, like Maui native Nathan Kimura, found the High Tech Job Fair to be the perfect place to leverage his college skills into a company internship and later, permanent employment. When Nathan was a junior at Gonzaga University, he attended the event during winter break, where he applied for, and later received a summer internship. The experience led to a subsequent internship at Textron Systems after graduation, which eventually developed into a full-time position. 

Participating employers at the 2007 High Tech Maui Holiday Job Fair included Akimeka, The Boeing Company, County of Maui, Hnu Photonics, Lockheed Martin, Maui High Performance Computing Center, Maui Memorial Medical Center, Oceanit, Pacific Disaster Center, Textron Systems, and more. 

The MEDB High Tech Maui Holiday Job Fair is funded in part by the U.S. Departments of Commerce and Labor with support from the County of Maui.