Kapi'olani Community College will help China train workers in the hospitality industry, under an agreement signed yesterday between the University of Hawai'i community college system and China's Higher Education Training Center.

The agreement includes a pilot program in which KCC will select and train 20 to 60 Chinese instructors in hospitality and culinary education, said Ron Takahashi, chairman of KCC's culinary arts department.

Some local hotels will also provide internship work experience.

The pilot program will run in conjunction with an international hospitality education conference in Honolulu scheduled tentatively for early next year, Takahashi said.

The Chinese government is also interested in working with the UH community college system on training in other areas, such as nursing and healthcare.