KAHULUI, Maui — The U.S. Transportation Security Administration is switching to local recruitment of employees, with Kahului Airport one of the first airports in the country to use the new system.

Lowrey Leong, TSA federal security director at Kahului Airport, said local hiring will speed up the process because officials on Maui will be able to more closely track applications and respond faster if additional action is needed to process candidates. The federal agency has been using a national contractor to recruit and assess job applicants at more than 450 airports.

TSA has 150 employees at the Maui airport and would like to hire 50 more, Leong said. TSA security officers screen baggage and passengers. They undergo 40 hours of classroom training and 60 hours of on-the-job training.

Wages range from $11.30 to $16.96, depending on experience, plus a cost of living allowance. Employees are eligible for health and life insurance, retirement benefit, vacation and sick leave.

Applicants must be U.S. citizens or U.S. nationals.

They must have a high school diploma, GED or equivalent, or at least one year of full-time experience in security work, aviation screener work or X-ray technician work.

In addition, applicants must be proficient in spoken and written English, be able to repeatedly lift and carry baggage weighing up to 70 pounds and be able to stand continuously for up to three hours.