Albarado and about 250 other students from three islands participated in the first state-wide Academy of Hospitality & Tourism Career Fair at the Wailea Marriott on Maui, funded by a $50,000 grant from the Hawai'i Tourism Authority.

Six high schools in Hawai'i offer two-year programs, or academies, in tourism that include for-credit classes, internships, college courses and extracurricular activities to prepare students for careers in the visitor industry. The schools are Maui, Baldwin and Lahainaluna on Maui, Kaua'i High School, and Waipahu and McKinley on O'ahu.

Students from all six schools, and Maui Waena Intermediate, participated in mock job interviews and talked with recruiters from the University of Hawai'i School of Travel Industry Management, Hawai'i Pacific University, Pleasant Hawaiian Holidays, Hawaiian Airlines, PWC Hawai'i Corp., the Four Seasons Resort, the Westin Maui, the Grand Wailea Resort and other employers.

The accommodations segment alone provided 38,100 jobs in Hawai'i during the third quarter of 2004, an increase of nearly 4 percent from the previous year, according to state labor statistics.

On Maui, hotels and other lodgings are the No. 1 employer, with 11,550 jobs, beating even the retail and government sectors.

Employers at the career fair said young people often are short-sighted when it comes to employment in the visitor industry.

"It's not just about selling souvenirs," said Mike Hearne of Hilo Hattie. He said students assume the retailer offers only salesclerk or cashier jobs, overlooking positions in merchandising, sales and marketing. "Many of them believe they have to leave the Islands to be successful and have a career, and that's not the case."

Hearne said the Hilo Hattie in Kihei hired four students directly as a result of last year's Maui-only career fair.

CharlAnn Nakamoto, human resources director for the Maui Prince Hotel, said students also may not be aware of the relatively high pay hotel workers receive, especially on Maui where competition for labor is keen. She said dishwashers earn $14 an hour and room cleaners $13.75, with opportunity for advancement.

Nakamoto said the Maui Prince already employs high school students in after-school jobs, and that she looks for communication skills and confidence in new hires.

Konrad Talon, a Maui High senior, said pay and benefits aren't as important to him as finding a satisfying and fun career. With his outgoing personality, Talon said he would like to work directly with visitors. "I love speaking in front of people," he said.

Albarado's Kaua'i High classmate, Ashley Nakaahiki, wants to be a pastry chef, and stopped to chat with representatives from Maui Community College's culinary arts program.

At the Aloha Airlines table, the glamour of flying still held sway for a steady stream of girls and boys asking about jobs as flight attendants. Aloha's Sarah Neilson told the students that getting a college degree first might be a good idea, but she also introduced them to entry-level jobs as ramp and counter workers.