Fifteen Kalaupapa, Molokaʻi residents spent three Wednesdays in September learning skills beneficial to the work they do, thanks to the support and guidance from the University of Hawaiʻi Maui College. Participants learned how to fix equipment they need to do their jobs with.
“This is the best college class I’ve taken,” said Rose Dudoit, one of the students. “The teacher was awesome. Many of us learn better through hands-on learning as opposed to traditional classroom instruction.”
The trip to Kalaupapa is one that staff members from the UH Maui College Molokaʻi Education Center take at least once a year to share programming with residents and offer application assistance.
“During these visits we also gather input on what types of education programs they are interested in,” explained UH Maui College Molokaʻi Coordinator Kelley Dudoit. “The employees expressed interest in a hands-on small engine repair course so they can learn how to fix the equipment they work with.”
The residents learned these skills from Construction Technology Program Lecturer Lloyd Inouye. There are so many benefits to the participants in addition to being able to fix their equipment. It upskills the workforce, reduces waste and saves funds by fixing existing equipment rather than buying new.
Participants learn skills that benefit their lives outside of work, maximize their productivity and reduce delays in waiting for equipment to be fixed.
“We were thrilled to be able to offer this class to the workforce in Kalaupapa,” Kelley Dudoit said. “We realize that access to our programs may be difficult because residents spend most of their week in the settlement. It made sense to take the class to them. We’re grateful to the instructor, Lloyd Inouye, for his willingness to travel to the settlement to teach the course. We hope to be able to continue to strengthen our partnership and continue offering classes like these.”
