The University of Hawaiʻi Community Colleges will anchor the top floor of a major new education and community facility that broke ground in Central Oʻahu on July 28. The $42.5-million Wahiawā Center for Workforce Excellence will house UH Community College satellite classrooms, along with a new Wahiawā Public Library and Hawaiʻi Department of Education (HIDOE) district offices, bringing education, workforce training and public services together in one location.
“This becomes our hub—it’s our innovation center, it’s where people will gain skills, and it’s not even just for the students,” said Gov. Josh Green. “It’s where our families can come together in a community.”
Empowering learners
The three-story, 43,000-square-foot building has a multi-level parking structure. The UH Community College’s third-floor space will include computer labs and a sensory lab designed to integrate with other UH facilities.
“[The building] reflects what the University of Hawaiʻi is about—partnership and integration and intersections in our community,” UH President Wendy Hensel said. “This center for workforce excellence is a shining example of what’s possible when we work together. The closer we are, the better we synergize, the more impactful our efforts become.”
The first floor will feature a modern Wahiawā Public Library with classrooms, meeting rooms and flexible community spaces. HIDOE’s administrative offices will occupy the second floor, supporting 20 Central Oʻahu schools with services and training.
“This facility will inspire and empower learners of all ages—from curious kindergarteners to K–12 and university students to adults—in one central, dynamic education hub that will provide resources to spark imagination and create new career possibilities close to home,” said Superintendent Keith Hayashi.
Building excellence
The Wahiawā Center was funded by the Hawaiʻi State Legislature, and complements nearby workforce initiatives, including Leeward Community College’s Wahiawā Value-Added Product Development Center and the Central Oʻahu Agriculture & Food Hub.
“This is where seeds of excellence hopefully will be born,” said Sen. Donavan Dela Cruz. “Knowledge is important, but what you do with that knowledge is even more important… and hopefully this will be a center where people can take risks, learn to take action, fail so that they can learn and try again, make a difference in society.”
