Building Hawaii’s Talent Pipeline From the Ground Up

Hawaii employers face a uniquely complex talent market. Geographic isolation, high living costs, and strong mainland competition make recruiting and retaining skilled workers an ongoing challenge. Increasingly, organizations are viewing internships as a deliberate, long-term workforce strategy rather than an optional benefit.

In March, the Hawaii Employers Council co-hosted the inaugural Hawaii Internship Summit alongside the Workforce Development Council. The day brought together employers, educators, and workforce partners around a shared question: how do you design internship programs that actually build a talent pipeline rather than just fill a short-term vacancy? A few key themes emerged: Programs structured around real work, meaningful mentorship, and a clear path toward full-time roles consistently outperform those treated as seasonal or tactical. Small and mid-sized businesses, often skeptical that they can compete with larger employers in intern recruiting, found that strong programs do not require elaborate processes. What they require is intentionality.

This conversation continues on June 26 at Talent Summit 2026 in a breakout session titled “From Internship to Workforce Strategy.” The session, featuring Reid Hinaga (Hawaii State Federal Credit Union), Yvette Gibson (Oceanit), and Donavan Kealoha (Startup Capital Ventures x SBI Fund/Purple Mai'a), and moderated by Matt Stevens (Hawaii Workforce Funders Collaborative), will explore how internships can serve as a long-term workforce strategy by helping organizations build talent pipelines, create meaningful career exposure, strengthen retention, and invest in Hawai‘i’s future workforce through intentional and impactful internship experiences.

If your organization is considering launching an internship program or evaluating an existing one, this session is designed for you.

Talent Summit 2026 takes place Friday, June 26, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the Ala Moana Hotel in Honolulu.