Bridging Economic Hardship and Workforce Resilience: A Call to Action for Hawaiʻi
Blogpost By: LorMona Meredith
Hawaiʻi stands at a critical crossroads, facing both an economic crisis for working families and a growing gap in workforce readiness. The reports released earlier this year: ALICE Report 2024 from Aloha United Way (AUW) and From Crisis to Opportunity: Building Hawaiʻi’s Workforce Resilience by the Hawaiʻi Workforce Funders Collaborative (HWFC) paint a stark picture of financial instability and systemic workforce challenges. Together, these reports highlight the urgent need for strategic collaborative action to ensure that all working-age residents have access to stable, family-sustaining careers by 2035.
The Overlapping Challenges: Economic Struggles and Workforce Gaps
The ALICE Report 2024 underscores the financial fragility of many households across Hawaiʻi. More than 44% of residents fall into the ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) category, meaning they earn above the poverty line but still struggle to afford basic necessities like housing, childcare, and healthcare. This economic insecurity is further exacerbated by the rising cost of living and the lack of pathways to higher-paying jobs.
Simultaneously, the From Crisis to Opportunity report highlights major workforce shortages in key industries such as healthcare, education, and technology. It calls for systemic reforms to upskill workers, create equitable career pathways, and address barriers preventing underserved communities from accessing well-paying jobs.
The intersection of these reports is clear: economic resilience in Hawaiʻi cannot be achieved without a strong, inclusive workforce development strategy. Without targeted investment in skill-building and career pathways, ALICE families will continue to struggle, and Hawaiʻi’s economy will face stagnation.
Opportunities for Collaboration
Addressing these intertwined challenges requires bold, coordinated action from policymakers, employers, educators, and community organizations. Key areas of intersection include:
Investing in Workforce Training & Upskilling
Expand access to vocational training, apprenticeships, and certification programs that lead to high-demand, high-wage careers.
Strengthen partnerships between employers and educational institutions to ensure training programs align with industry needs.
Increasing Access to Affordable Childcare & Support Services
Advocate for policies that increase childcare subsidies and employer-supported childcare options.
Provide wraparound support, such as transportation and financial assistance, to remove barriers for ALICE families pursuing education and workforce training.
Strengthening Public-Private Partnerships
Encourage businesses to adopt workforce-friendly policies, such as on-the-job training programs and tuition reimbursement.
Create cross-sector collaborations to fund and scale initiatives that provide economic mobility for ALICE households.
How You Can Help
Hawaiʻi’s future depends on collective action. Here’s how you can make an impact:
Educate Yourself & Share: Read both reports (ALICE Report 2024 and From Crisis to Opportunity) and spread awareness in your community.
Engage with Policymakers: Advocate for policies that prioritize workforce development, affordable housing, and childcare support.
Support Workforce Development Initiatives: Donate to or volunteer with organizations that provide job training, mentorship, and career support for underserved communities.
Encourage Employer Participation: If you're an employer, consider how your company can create more equitable job opportunities and invest in workforce development programs.
By aligning efforts between economic stability and workforce development, we can create a more resilient, thriving Hawaiʻi where every resident has the opportunity to build a better future. Let’s work together to turn this crisis into an opportunity for lasting change.
