Hawaii Construction Career Day Guide

TRADE SECRETS: Hawai‘i Carpenters UnionBrains and brawn—that’syour carpenter.When you’re a carpenter, youneed to be creative and skillful as well asphysically able to handle all the lifting,climbing and hefting.“You need to be smart and strong,” saysRon Taketa, the financial secretary andbusiness representative for the Hawai‘iCarpenters Union, Local 745. “It is a veryskilled craft and it takes years of trainingand education and on-the-job experiencein order to become a journeymancarpenter.”While math is probably the mostimportant subject, Taketa encourages highschool students to focus on all their classes,whether it’s English, history or science.“When you get on the worksite, you’reworking with a team of other carpenters andpeople from other trades, so communicationskills are important, interpersonal skills areimportant, being able to listen and learn isimportant,” he says.To enter the union’s apprenticeshipprogram you need your high schooldiploma or equivalent, and to pass an8th-grade math test. The apprenticeshiplasts four years, during which time youearn money on the job during the weekand take a half-day of class on Saturdays ata community college. The class time coversthe academics such as math and blueprintreadingas well as hands-on work learningto use the tools of the trade.After completing the apprenticeship, ajourneyman can earn more than whitecollarworkers with advanced degrees,Taketa points out. The journeyman wageis $36.50 an hour with a full benefitpackage on top. That can add up to ayearly pay packet of $116,000.You do need to be aware that carpentryis a business that goes with the ebb andflow of the economy, so along with thepeaks, there are down times and periodsof layoffs. But the job satisfaction is alwaysthere, Taketa says.“It’s a good industry,” he says. “We buildthings of value to the community. We takethe plans and we turn them into reality.I know a lot of carpenters who are veryproud of the structures they have builtthat are serving the community.”Imagine a roomwith over half a million dollarsworth of tools and equipment.FKS Rentals and Sales is the one-stop-shop where customers rent, buy,or have their construction tools and equipment serviced.14OAHU633 Kakoi StreetHonolulu, Hawaii 96819Ph: (808) 836-2961Fax: (808) 833-0976www.fksrentals.comMAUI441 Alamaha StreetKahului, Maui 96732Ph: (808) 871-7171Fax (808) 871-5839