(BIVN) – The Hawai‘i National Guard will be closing the Hawai‘i Job Challenge Academy in Hilo this summer.
In a Wednesday announcement, the Hawaiʻi Department of Defense said the academy (JCA) located at the Keaukaha Military Reservation will shut down due to budget cuts, after the current class graduates on June 22, 2026.
“It was not our choice to close the Hawai‘i Job Challenge Academy,” said Hawaiʻi Adjutant General, Maj. Gen. Stephen F. Logan in a news release. “With the success that we have had with the (Youth Challenge Academy), we were looking forward to providing additional opportunities to Hawaiʻi’s youth. We will work with our staff and the upcoming JCA graduates to ensure a smooth transition.”
From the Hawaiʻi DOD:
The YCA in Hilo transitioned seamlessly into JCA, with no break between the final YCA class ending in June 2024 and the first JCA class beginning in July 2024. The JCA was another five-and-a-half-month residence program designed to provide the associates with more training and preparation to become productive citizens in their communities.
In two years, JCA had four classes that provided 56 young adults with hands-on training, professional development and certificates to help build their long-term success.
“The department is currently developing a proposal for the Governor and State Legislature to establish a different state-funded program in Hilo that would provide services comparable to those previously offered by the Job Challenge Academy,” said Na Kula Alakaʻi (Civilian Military Programs) Director, Retired Brig. Gen. Bruce E. Oliveira. “We extend our sincere gratitude to the staff, partners and participants whose dedication and commitment have made a meaningful and lasting impact on the lives of the youth served by this program.”
The JCA facility at the Keaukaha Military Reservation will be repurposed for the STARBASE Academy, a STEM-based program under the Hawai‘i National Guard.
“The STARBASE Academy was established in 2008 and serves the Keaʻau community under the Hawaiʻi National Guard Civilian Military Program,” Oliveira explained.
