David Y. Ige | DBEDT NEWS RELEASE: HAWAII REMOTE WORK PILOT PROJECT – REMOTE READY HAWAII

Offer job vacancies to qualified applicants

HONOLULU – The Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT) and the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations (DLIR) through the Workforce Development Council (WDC) along with the four District Workforce Development Boards (WDB) of Hawaii announced: Remote Ready Hawai’i, ” a Hawaii remote work project supported by MadSkills, dba, Instant Teams. Instant Teams, a Hawaii-based startup, is a growing leader in remote workforce focused on improving the job prospects of the unemployed Hawaiian workforce, especially those affected by the COVID-19 outbreak.

This program provides unemployed Hawaii residents the opportunity to receive:

• Intensive training for a role as a Remote Business Development Representative or Remote Customer Service Professional.
• A paid remote internship through Instant Teams that matches the training received.
• Support with job placement after completing your studies and internship.

Applicants for this program will be contacted by the American job centers starting Tuesday, February 16, 2021 and must meet the following criteria:

• Possibility to commit to a paid internship of 20 hours per week after completing the training.
• Completing a written application.
• Submission of a video interview.

“As Governor Ige stated in his State of State address, the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the rise of the digital economy. In the digital economy, it doesn’t matter where you work. Hawaii’s workers can compete globally from our island home, giving them a higher quality of life, ”said Mike McCartney, DBEDT director.

“This pilot, along with other Hawaiian Remote Work Pilot projects, represents a true collaboration between DBEDT, the Hawaii State WDC, all four county WDBs and American job centers to expand remote work opportunities and take those first steps. “To increase Hawaii’s competitiveness in the global digital economy,” added McCartney.

“Remote working for local residents is an important way of keeping families together here in Hawaii and stopping the export of our talent. Creating opportunities for teleworkers by connecting our residents to global job opportunities is one of the keys to opening doors to economic resilience, “said Leslie Wilkins, Chair of the State of Hawaii Workforce Development Council.

“The three-island Maui County has some of the most remote communities and underserved residents in Hawaii with a high concentration of native Hawaiians.” said Linda Puppolo, executive director of the Maui County Workforce Development Board. “Since the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been few options in these communities. By leveraging Maui County’s workforce development resources for recruitment and support, the Remote Ready Hawai’i Partnership provides a critical opportunity for new career paths that will lead to economic resilience and recovery. “

Liza Rodewald, CEO of Instant Teams and a resident of Ewa Beach, added, “We have built a successful model of working with companies on the mainland to build teams of remote workers from military spouses. We look forward to expanding this model now and creating jobs for the residents here in Hawaii. “

The program participants are selected according to the following criteria:

• Completed application
• Targeting
• Technical readiness
• Commitment to the program requirements

The AJCs will contact potential candidates for these remote work positions starting Tuesday, February 16, 2021.

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About the Department of Economy, Economic Development & Tourism (DBEDT)

DBEDT is Hawaii’s resource center for economic and statistical data, business development opportunities, energy and energy conservation information, and foreign trade benefits. DBEDT’s mission is to achieve a Hawaiian economy that embraces innovation and is globally competitive, dynamic, productive and offers opportunities for all Hawaiian citizens. Through its affiliated agencies, the department promotes planned community development, creates affordable housing units for workers in high quality residential environments, and promotes employment growth in the innovation sector.

About the Workforce Development Council (WDC)The Workforce Development Council is a 41-member advisory committee made up of public and private sector representatives appointed by the Governor based on their interest and knowledge of human resource development programs in Hawaii and to support economic development across the state. The WDC is the supervisory authority of the Federal Act on Innovation and Opportunities for Employees (WIOA). It is an industrial relations agency affiliated with the State of Hawaii.

About the Workforce Development Boards (WDBs)

The Workforce Development Boards are the local body that develops and manages district-based local plans that meet the requirements of the Workers’ Innovation and Opportunities Act. The WBDs provide local guidance, contracting, and oversight of the county-administered American Job Centers and provide direct services to unemployed and underemployed Hawaiian residents.

About the Hawaii American Job Centers (AJCs)

There are four American job centers, one in each county, that offer free services to job seekers and employers. Job seeker services include career counseling, HireNet Hawaii support, skills training, job search assistance, and a resource center; while companies can receive recruitment and vocational training assistance and labor market information.

Via Instant Teams

Instant Teams uses Arti, proprietary remote team software, to build and manage teams of highly skilled military spouses, a previously untapped resource. Instant Teams works with companies in a variety of sectors including cybersecurity, healthcare technology, ed-tech, and e-commerce to efficiently source, hire, onboard, manage, and retain a resilient remote workforce, and provide flexibility and opportunity for customers and team members .