The September 11th attack
UH to waive tuition for laid-off workers
By Jennifer Hiller
Advertiser Education Writer
The University of Hawai'i's community colleges and its Employment Training Center are gearing up for an onslaught of new students as people start to lose their jobs to a worsening economy.
With an offer of free tuition to anyone who gets laid off as a result of the economic fallout from the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks — and their college-age children — university officials expect that many people who take advantage of the program will want new job training fast instead of taking years to pursue a bachelor's or master's degree.
But the offer is good on any UH campus and applies to conventional course work as well as fast-track job training.
"As far as teaching and curriculum, we're ready," said Joyce Tsunoda, chancellor of the community colleges. "Short-term training is part of our normal routine. The key is finding faculty and some training resources."
Organizing and coordination meetings are being held between university officials, the city's Department of Community Services, the Workforce Development Division of the state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations and Sen. Dan Inouye's office. UH official also are deciding what paperwork needs to be provided, such as unemployment papers dated after Sept. 11, to qualify for the tuition waiver.
"At all of these levels, the involved parties are talking and working and collaborating and saying, what is the most streamlined way we can proceed and use all of our resources?" said Kathleen Jaycox, acting state director of the Employment Training Center. "We need to get something — boom — out there that can help people."
Some Waikiki hotels may offer classroom space immediately so that their own laid-off workers will be able to get some retraining in the culinary arts or hotel and restaurant management, Tsunoda said. UH and the state are working with groups like the Hotel and Restaurant Association to be able to connect with laid-off workers and find space to offer classes.
"Frankly, our classroom space is being taken up by regular students," Tsunoda said.
Other fast-track courses in areas ranging from construction basics to instruction in becoming a home health aide or educational specialist may be scheduled, although there is no concrete plan yet for dates and times of classes.
Those interested in the more conventional degree or certificate programs will need to wait until the start of the spring semester in January to join UH classes.
Gov. Ben Cayetano has suggested courses that would be able to place people in jobs that the state traditionally has vacancies for — aides to help in special education classes and prison workers. Courses to qualify for those jobs can be taken through a variety of community colleges throughout the state. For now, Jaycox said, people on O'ahu can go to one of the eight O'ahu Worklinks offices for information.
"That's a very concrete place people can go in terms of taking a step," she said. "They can talk to a counselor. They have information about us. They are one-stops. They have information from city and state agencies. They also have information about some of the services people might be able to quality for. We don't have a lot of concrete answers yet."
With little knowledge of how many students to expect, university officials are treading in unfamiliar waters. The financial impact of a free tuition offer will remain uncertain until economists can predict just how many Hawai'i residents may end up unemployed.
UH President Evan Dobelle, who made the free tuition offer, has said the university has a moral obligation to help make the state's economy less dependent on tourism.
Reach Jennifer Hiller at jhiller@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8084.
