Training program turns out first graduates for Hawaii's live event industry
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - When you go to an event like a concert, your attention is usually on the performance happening on stage. But there’s a lot more that goes into it, like the sound design, the look of the venue and the lights.
There was all of that in a graduation event at Hawaii Stage, an event production company that has been rigging up shows across the state for 50 years. It looked like it was being held in a Waikiki ballroom with fancy lighting, a stage and dining tables, but it was actually in the lightning and stage company’s Kapalama warehouse.
It was transformed by 18 graduates of the state’s first production arts cohort, sponsored by the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement and funded by Kamehameha Schools and the Hawaii Community Foundation.
“There’s corporate gigs, whether Janet Jackson’s coming to town or Bruno Mars -- somebody’s got to operate the staging, the lighting, the design and all of the elements that brings that production to life,” said CNHA CEO Kuhio Lewis. “So that’s what these kids are learning. That’s what they’ve been trained on now.”
The graduates also got a chance to show off their new skills with a light and music show they designed.
The students went through 18 weeks of training, three days a week, for an industry that needs new workers.
“Many industries, there’s an aging workforce and there’s really nobody being trained to replace them. This is one of those industries,” said Lewis.
“This is a small island, so there aren’t always opportunities for people to find these rather specific jobs, these occupations. And so it’s been -- I won’t say harrowing, but it’s been difficult,” said graduate Daron Gaskin.
Gaskin now knows how to program and operate a lighting board -- and a lot more.
Those are abilities that are desperately needed locally for all kinds of events.
“Oftentimes people will bringing in people from outside to help run a performance or a showcase. And so we want to be able to get our own people so we can work with our own community,” said longtime kumu hula Vicky Holt Takamine of the Pa’i Foundation.
The students are graduating with 11 different certifications that make them more marketable in the workforce. They included OHSA safety certifications, lift operation training, and training in Vectorworks, which develops software for the entertainment industry.
And those jobs can pay well.
“It starts at 25 bucks an hour, and they can make up to 45 bucks an hour, depending on the skills sets, the particular skill sets. And oftentimes if you became an expert, it’s even more,” said Lewis.
Lewis says Hawaii Stage has already hired all 18 graduates. And they’ll be busy: their next big gig is the Na Hoku Hanohano Awards later this month.
“There is never a boring day for us. It’s always work, work, work,” said Gaskin. “As long as there are shows coming, there’s going to be work to do.”