RISE PROGRAM TRAINS WORKERS FOR ENERGY, CLIMATE CHANGE, SUSTAINABILITY CAREERS

For Immediate Release: October 20, 2011

HONOLULU – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the State of Hawaii Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism (DBEDT) announced seven new graduates, masters and college students will intern with a wide variety of environmental projects for DBEDT’s State Energy Office, Honolulu Board of Water Supply, and the State Department of Health.

The interns, who were selected for the EPA’s “Rewarding Internships in Sustainable Employment” (RISE) program, will be working to expand the Hawaii Green Business Program, a partnership between DBEDT, Department of Health, the Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii, the City and County Recycling Office and Honolulu Board of Water Supply. RISE is committed to help build the capacity of Hawaii’s workforce to move the State toward a more sustainable future. The Hawaii Green Business Program recognizes hotels/resorts, office/retail, restaurant/food service, and government organizations that have committed to going beyond compliance and reducing their impact on the environment. To date, 52 businesses and organizations in Hawaii have been recognized by this initiative.

The interns will be assisting in increasing the number of businesses and government organizations to implement green measures in the areas of energy, water, and resource conservation and pollution prevention. In addition, the interns will be working on other related projects such as green building projects, landscape irrigation issues, and recycling programs.

“Building a clean energy economy is a State priority, and we must have a work force that is trained and ready for green business jobs,” said Mark Glick, administrator of DBEDT’s State Energy Office. “Our incoming RISE interns have diverse backgrounds and with on-the-job exposure and training. We selected these highly qualified students from a number of applicants and will be working with them to expand their qualifications and expertise to contribute to the State’s goal of 70 percent clean energy within one generation.”

State Dept. of Business, Economic Development and Tourism interns:
• Chris Barzman, a Master’s Candidate in Global Leadership and Sustainable Development at Hawaii Pacific University emphasizing in Sustainable Tourism Systems.
• Chris Gore, a recent Environmental Policy and Science and Business Administration graduate from McDaniel College.
• Jacqueline Lum, a recent Environmental Engineering graduate from University of California at Merced.

Honolulu Board of Water Supply interns:
• Davide Giardini, a recent Environmental Science and Economics graduate from Roger Williams University.
• Kapiolani Street, a current Civil Engineering (Environmental track) and Anthropology student at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

State Department of Health interns:
• Tyson Kanzaki, a current Master of Environmental Engineering student from Umwelt-Campus in Birkenfeld, Germany.
• Brian Wilson, a current Master of Global Leadership and Sustainable Development student at Hawaii Pacific University, graduate from New England School of Law.

The Rewarding Internships in Sustainable Employment (RISE) is an internship program developed to provide college students and recent graduates in Hawaii with paid work experiences with different public and private organizations in the State. RISE is committed to help build the capacity of Hawaii’s workforce to move the State toward a more sustainable future. In addition to the seven new interns, there are 13 other RISE interns working at Dept. of Education, Department of Health, Honolulu Clean Cities on a variety of renewable and energy efficiency projects.

RISE is a collaborative effort of a number of organizations, including DBEDT, Department of Education, Department of Health, University of Hawaii, Kupu, Honolulu Clean Cities, and the Environmental Protection Agency. RISE provides job training opportunities, as well as an engaging Sustainability Seminar Series. The seminars are intended to provide sustainability training, project specific trainings and workshops, a speaker series, volunteer opportunities, community outreach events, and field trips in order to engage the interns in different sustainability projects in Hawaii.

“The experiences gained by the interns will provide the cornerstone for the sustainable green workforce in Hawaii,” said Asia Yeary, EPA’s project coordinator. “They will be pioneers leading the way for the many exciting and challenging green industries and jobs, leading to a more sustainable environment and a cleaner environment.”

Additional RISE intern projects will begin throughout the year. For additional information on RISE, contact Marguerite Harden at [email protected] if you are interested in funding, hiring or becoming a RISE intern.

The State of Hawaii’s economic enterprise is to pursue energy independence by building a clean energy economy and reaching 70 percent clean energy by 2030. The DBEDT State Energy Office’s mission is to act as a catalyst for green jobs, efficiency measures, renewable energy resources, transportation initiatives, and investments in Hawaii’s economy. For more information, visit www.energy.hawaii.gov

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For more information, contact:

Mark Glick
Administrator
DBEDT’s State Energy Office
Phone: (808) 587-3812

Lois Hamaguchi
Energy Analyst
DBEDT’s State Energy Office
Phone: (808) 587-9006

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