The University of Hawaiʻi is playing a key role in preparing local students for careers in Hawaiʻi’s growing technology sector. Through Good Jobs Hawaiʻi, a statewide workforce development initiative supported by UH, students gained hands-on experience in user interface (UI), user experience (UX) and graphic design, thanks to a partnership with local creative agency Piʻikū Co. and Zippy’s.
With few tech firms based in the islands, many aspiring designers are forced to move to the continental U.S. to gain entry-level experience. Piʻikū Co. aims to reverse this trend by equipping kamaʻāina with practical skills tailored to the needs of local companies. Rather than outsourcing its design work, Zippy’s partnered with Piʻikū Co. to bring Hawaiʻi students in-house to support its digital and signage projects, giving students real-world exposure while strengthening Hawaiʻi’s tech pipeline.
Michelle Tran, a local graduate of Kailua High School, struggled to find tech work after returning to Oʻahu from Claremont, California. That changed when she completed an eight-week internship through Piʻikū Co. She now works as a full-time UI/UX designer on Oʻahu.
“The Piʻikū internship played a very important role in my UX journey,” said Tran. “It was my first time working directly with a client, and I learned so much about client management.”
Programs like these directly support the UH System Strategic Plan, which prioritizes workforce development and aims to reduce brain drain by keeping talent in the islands.
