Kaua‘i CC Program Trains School Custodians

By Cheryl Ernst
External Affairs and University Relations

The e-mail opens with a hearty "Alohaaaaa" and continues in triumphant detail about the challenge of repairing a leaky toilet so that children won’t slip on a wet floor. "This is actual fun fixing things," concludes the school custodian, dubbed "Mr. Fixer-Upper" in the subject line. Calvin Shirai and his Kaua‘i CC team couldn’t be prouder. Self-confidence and successful skills are what their Rural Development Grant custodian training project is all about.

Under the federally funded program, Kaua‘i CC instructors provide Department of Education custodians on Kaua‘i with 80 hours of training and on-site practice in carpentry, plumbing, electrical repair, tiling and drywall repair. The goal is to prepare school custodians to tackle basic repair and maintenance work so that school needs are addressed quickly and state Department of Accounting and General Services personnel are free to focus on larger projects.

"I’m proud of these folks," says Kaua‘i CC’s Lon Malapit, who provides administrative support for the project. Also on the team are Office of Continuing Education and Training Coordinator John Isobe, instructors Roy Takatsuki and Richard Kashiwabara and assistant Robby Stone.

Thirty custodians completed training in the spring. Back at their schools, the Koloa Elementary custodian updated the lighting fixtures while the Chiefess Kamakahelei Intermediate custodian installed an irrigation system and their ‘Ele‘ele counterpart poured a cement slap and put up a storage shed to hold preschool equipment.

"DOE employees have all raved about their success in upgrading their skills and how they have saved funds by knowing how to repair minor mishaps," comments Bobbie Bulata–Franklin, OCET director.

"It’s a win for the kids, because they learn in a more conducive environment," says DOE Kaua‘i Superintendent Daniel Hamada. More Kaua‘i custodians have signed up for when classes resume in the fall. The program is slated to begin on Maui in conjunction with Maui CC and eventually expand statewide.