The Workforce Understory is HWFC’s new data sensemaking and dashboarding initiative designed to illuminate the hidden but vital stories shaping Hawaiʻi’s workforce future.

In a forest, the understory is where the future begins — the layer of young growth taking root beneath the canopy. These shoots are often overlooked, but they’re essential. Without the right conditions, a forest cannot regenerate.

Our economy works the same way.

We tend to focus on what’s already grown — total jobs, GDP, unemployment rates. But those numbers don’t tell us whether the next generation is finding a path forward. They don’t show us what’s trying to grow, or what might be struggling just out of view.

That’s where The Workforce Understory comes in.

This initiative surfaces emerging signals — new perspectives, local insights, early data trends — and asks a simple but urgent question:

Are we creating the conditions for opportunity to grow — for everyone, in every place?

Just as forests thrive in different ways depending on their ecosystem, every island, county, and community will need its own path to a thriving future. Through this series, we’ll explore what’s already growing — and what needs more light, care, and investment to take root.

Why now is the time for Hawaiʻi to act boldly on workforce investment

Over the next decade, more than 167,000 young people in Hawaiʻi will enter the workforce. Whether they are able to find meaningful, well-supported career pathways—or face limited options that force them to leave their home communities—depends on the choices we make today. In our From Crisis to Opportunity report, we outlined the stakes: a generational challenge that demands coordinated investment and long-term vision.

The good news is that momentum is already building. Across Hawaiʻi, public and private partners are aligning around the vision set forth in the State Unified Plan, led by the Workforce Development Council. Sector partnerships are expanding, new earn-and-learn models are emerging, and community-based leaders are stepping up to co-design solutions. But if we want to turn this progress into lasting change, we need better information to guide our efforts. The newly released 2023 Hawaiʻi Workforce Funding Review offers a starting point—a baseline to help us understand how workforce dollars are currently being spent, where the gaps lie, and what it will take to build a system that truly works for Hawaiʻi’s people.

🚀 New Opportunity from Vibrant Hawaiʻi: Hawaiʻi Island’s KōCreate Initiative Launches in August with a Bold Vision for Community-Led Futures.

Looking to level up your leadership and design skills? Check out Koʻokua CoCreate, an innovative six-month learning journey grounded in seven core themes that prepare participants to lead with clarity, connection, and purpose. These include visionary communication, relational leadership, and strategic design—equipping participants to inspire action, hold inclusive spaces, and design community-rooted initiatives focused on human-centered design, equity-based facilitation, and community innovation.

Open to all who want to reimagine systems and create lasting change in Hawaiʻi 🌱

🔗 Learn more + sign up: vibranthawaii.org/kocreate

We’re proud to share that the Hawai‘i Workforce Funders Collaborative (HWFC) will be participating in a plenary panel session at the upcoming Hawai‘i Conservation Conference (HCC), taking place July 2025.

Hosted by the Hawai‘i Conservation Alliance (HCA), this annual gathering brings together conservation professionals, researchers, and community leaders to advance collaborative efforts in protecting Hawai‘i’s unique natural resources.

HWFC’s Executive Director Matt Stevens will join the panel to share insights on how cross-sector collaboration and workforce investment strategies are strengthening conservation career pathways in Hawai‘i. We’re honored to be included alongside partners such as:

• Hawai‘i Conservation Alliance

• Natural Resource Sector Partnership

• Kupu Program Youth Alumni

• Emerging Youth Leaders in Conservation

🔍 Plenary Spotlight: “Hawai‘i Local Natural Resource Workforce Panel”

📍 Session Location: Room 316 B/C, Hawai’i Convention Center
📅 Date & Time: Wednesday, July 23, 2025, 10:30 am - 12:00 pm 
🗂️ Session Type: Plenary
🏆 Alliance Award Presented: Conservation Innovation

Ready to level up your leadership skills with local support?
We’ve got just the thing.

In partnership with Good Jobs Hawai‘i and the City & County of Honolulu, the University of Hawai‘i – Kapi‘olani Community College’s Community Education and Workforce Development program is launching a dynamic hybrid leadership course for managers, running from July 17 to August 5, 2025.

This short course blends in-person and online sessions focused on real-world leadership tools, essential workplace skills, and strategies to help you lead with confidence and clarity.

📝 Limited spots available!
Click the flyer to learn more and apply today.

From Crisis to Opportunity: Shaping Hawaiʻi’s Workforce Future

Hawai‘i is at a turning point. Of the 170,000 youth entering the workforce in the next decade, nearly 1 in 3 may face limited options to build a sustainable future here.

To change that, HWFC released the From Crisis to Opportunity report in January 2025—a bold call to action that lays out a collaborative vision: by 2035, all working-age residents should have access to family-sustaining, future-ready careers.

The report offers a strategic path forward—backed by data—to dismantle barriers, align investments, and build a workforce system where local talent thrives.

🎙 Join us for a fireside chat with Matt Stevens our Executive Director, at the HEC Talent Summit on July 11 to explore how employers can lead with equity, innovation, and impact.

👉 Register now and be part of Hawai‘i’s workforce transformation.

Registration Now Open: Workforce Synergy Summit II

We’re excited to share that registration is now open for the Workforce Synergy Summit II, hosted by the Hawai‘i Workforce Development Council. Join us for this half-day event focused on strengthening collaboration, aligning strategies, and advancing a shared vision for Hawaiʻi’s workforce future.

📅 When: Wednesday, July 9, 2025 | ⏰ 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM 📍 Where: Honolulu Community College, Loui Room – 2nd Floor, Building 2 (Parking available in Lot #1)

At this summit, our Executive Director Matt Stevens will debut the 2023 Workforce Funding Review Report—a new tool that not only maps how workforce dollars are being spent across programs and partners, but also offers valuable insights for future planning and investment. This data snapshot will help ensure resources are effectively aligned with Hawai‘i’s evolving economic and workforce needs.

Following the successful launch of the first summit in December 2024, this second gathering will continue momentum around Hawaiʻi’s State Unified Workforce Development Plan. Attendees can look forward to:

• Key updates from our Pillar Catalyst Teams

• Thought-provoking dialogue on emerging workforce challenges

• Data-informed conversations around metrics of success

• A look ahead at Hawai‘i’s Workforce Development North Star—our bold, collaborative vision for the future

🎟 Space is limited. REGISTER HERE to secure your spot.

Opening Doors: Reflections from the Symposium

We were honored to attend the Pathways to Meaningful Work Symposium on June 25th, hosted by Chaminade University of Honolulu’s Prison Education Program. This powerful, day-long gathering brought together a diverse group of stakeholders—educators, workforce leaders, justice system partners, and community organizations—with a shared purpose: to explore how we can create more education-to-employment opportunities for justice-impacted individuals in Hawai‘i. The event highlighted the importance of cross-sector collaboration in building systems that not only reduce barriers to reentry, but also open up real pathways to meaningful, sustaining work. It was an inspiring space for learning, storytelling, and envisioning a more inclusive workforce future—where opportunity is truly accessible to all. Mahalo to Chaminade University for convening such a timely and transformative conversation.

📍 For more details on the symposium and Chaminade’s Prison Education Program, click here.

Big news! HWFC is featured in the April 2025 issue of Hawai‘i Business Magazine! The article highlights real stories, local workforce challenges, and insights from our Executive Director Matt Stevens, on the strength and power of cross-sector collaboration. We’re proud to be part of this movement to build a more resilient, equitable future for Hawai‘i’s workers.

Read it here: How to Fix a Core Problem: https://www.hawaiibusiness.com/how-to-fix-a-core-problem.../

Learn how you can join us in this important work—visit our website

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