Hawaii struggles to attract qualified hospitality workers
By Robbie Dingeman
Advertiser Staff Writer
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A new report offers strategies to the visitor industry for attracting and keeping workers while grappling with "a love-hate relationship with the industry" that exists in the community.
The recommendations come from a report commissioned by the Hawai'i Tourism Authority, which is paying the University of Hawai'i's School of Travel Industry Management $276,000 for "Tourism Workforce Development Strategic Plan: 2007-2015."
The HTA received the initial report this month.
Hawai'i's low unemployment, wages that haven't kept up with the cost of living, an aging workforce and competition from other industries — such as construction and healthcare — are contributing to the difficulties facing the tourism industry, according to the report.
SOME 'EYE-OPENERS'
Russell Uyeno, who is director of applied research and consultancy for the UH School of Travel Industry Management, presented the report to tourism authority board members at the last full meeting last week.
He said industry officials are looking for more people and sometimes have a hard time finding qualified people willing to work. Among the comments they heard:
Those statements came as an "eye-opener for some of us," said Muriel Anderson, HTA's vice president for product development.
The report proposes expanded education, training, recruitment and work incentive program. And industry people see a need to improve information and outreach programs.
The appetite for jobs in the industry is increasing. The report shows an annual growth in jobs in the industry of more than 2,000 jobs, plus annual job openings of more than 4,000 people and that adds up to an annual demand for more than 7,000 jobs.
EDUCATION CAN HELP
Some key programs are under way at Kapi'olani Community College.
Ron Umehira serves as chair and associate professor for KCC's Hospitality & Tourism Education program on O'ahu. He said education helps prepare workers for what they'll find, make them better workers and allows them to get more of their jobs as well.
He said programs start with the role of tourism, who are the visitors and how to work best with them as well as the more technical skills needed.
"We do a lot of hands-on training — simulations and role playing to get the students ready," Umehira said. Without such training and context, he worries, "they may get lost in the shuffle."
Such programs at KCC range from a series of four two-hour classes on "Hospitality with Aloha" to an associate degree that takes two years to earn.
He said some hotels and other companies sponsor training or do their own, but that's difficult for some who "are so busy that they don't have the resources"
Umehira said the course weaves Hawaiian history and culture in with team building, cultural diversity and Hawaiian language. He said the course can help to bring our confidence in workers who feel more pride in the community and their role in it.
"What they learn in the course, they can immediately apply. it's almost a transformation," he said.
Umehira said every move to invest in the people will help immeasurably to separate Hawai'i from other vacation destinations in the eyes of visitors.
What makes Hawai'i special to visitors beyond the beaches and beauty? Umehira said they often hear: "Employees are friendly and helpful and they have the aloha spirit."
BASIC SKILLS LACKING
On the Neighbor Islands, the problem is sometimes more pronounced.
Mauna Lani Bay Hotel and Bungalows, a luxury resort on the Big Island's Kohala coast, general manager Kurt Matsumoto said young people seem a lot less interested in working in service jobs, especially in the food and beverage jobs.
Matsumoto, who has been in the business for 25 years, said entry-level employees sometimes lack life skills such as filling out an application or balancing a check book.
"As an employer you end up spending time training people for things that you would think they would be equipped to handle already," he said.
He said the industry could use help offering support for those core job skills from showing courtesy to following a schedule: "How to handle your basic responsibilities and be accountable ... calling in advance to let someone know you can't come in instead of just not showing up."
Matsumoto feels filling jobs in the industry has been difficult for the past 15 years and hasn't gotten a lot worse lately.
But Matsumoto said it's always better to keep looking for the right person than settle for the wrong employee. "If people are not appropriate for the jobs, we won't fill the positions. we won't just put them into a position and put a bad hire in place."
Tourism authority board member and industry professional Leon Yoshida said his company struggles to hire bilingual workers who can communicate better with Japanese visitors.
A predicted boom in Chinese and Korean visitors will bring new demands. "I don't know where you're going to find all those Korean people," he said.
State tourism liaison Marsha Wienert said the guest worker visas could be an option for bringing in some bilingual workers
Matsumoto said he's worked in states that rely on migrant workers to fill housekeeping and other entry-level positions. But he said Hawai'i would be wise to recognize that this is a labor-intensive industry that thrives best with the help and support of people who live here.
"It's a complex problem for Hawai'i. we would rather have home-grown talent," Matsumoto said.
Reach Robbie Dingeman at rdingeman@honoluluadvertiser.com.
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