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Home My WebLink AboutCOM 0089.025 2020-2022 P/Coumc.l 551-21 0 Comm-81i WMI r � �n r� F Testimony o ort of Resolution - e ore the Hawai i County Council__, Submitted by Kupu CEO John Leong, hearing date Feb. 17, 2021 1 w Aloha e Councilmembers, i My name is John Leong, and I am the Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of Kupu, one of. our state's leading youth-focused conservation organizations. On behalf of Kupu, I am pleased, to testify in strong suDDort of Resolution 3 5-21, Urging the County of Hawaii to establish a Ir— jobs corps program for Hawai`i Island to help address unemployment impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic and to support economic diversification. Kupu appreciates the strong support that this resolution received before your Committee on Government Operations, Relations, and Economic Development on February 2, 2021, and was heartened by the unanimous vote of approval by the committee members and numerous testimonies in support by members of the community. In our testimony -reiterating the information provided in our committee-level testimony-we will provide background on the statewide green jobs corps program we recently administered in partnership with the State of Hawaii. Additionally, we will provide Hawaii Island-specific information where applicable, as it applies to the resolution before the Committee. Kupu was established in 2007, in the early stages of the Great Recession. From that time to today,we have grown into one of the 20 largest nonprofit service providers in the State, focused on developing youth and young adults through hands-on service training in conservation and natural resource management. We pursue strategies that solve multiple challenges simultaneously, and seek to make a positive impact on our participants, the `aina, and our larger community. Since 2007 we have trained close to 5,000 youth in conservation, sustainability, and environmental education. Young adults served by Kupu have provided more than 3 million service hours during this time, which has included planting over 1 million native plants and removing over 100,000 acres of invasive species. This has created a cumulative $155+million in impact for Hawai`i with a 1:3 cost to benefit ratio. Last year, as our islands suffered from the pandemic's public health and economic impacts, Kupu decided to establish the Kupu `Aina Corps, a green jobs corps. This corps was designed to build off of the processes and experience we developed from our work with young adults, and Comin. N9.2 •2 1 of 2 00Ref.T5 Ref. Date FEB' 1 7 2021 1 apply it to provide short term work and training in mdlama 'dina professions for displaced workers and graduates of all ages. When funding from the CARES Act became available, we applied for a contract with the State Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism.,which had provided funding for a jobs program via Act 009 (SLH 2020). While the contract required Kupu to match at least 300 displaced workers and impacted graduates with job opportunities,we were able to do so for over 360 individuals. Over 90 percent of the matched workers remained in the program until completion, building experience and completing over 89,000 work hours at 150 different agriculture and conservation organizations. This work not only created employment and training opportunities for hundreds of individuals, but it also provided necessary economic support to many non-profits and farms whose budgets had been severely impacted by economic impacts from COVID-19. Consistent with the short-term nature of the program authorized under Act 009 (SLH 2020),the State-Kupu partnership for the Kupu 'Aina Corps concluded at the end of last year. We would be interested in supporting the County's goals of providing jobs and green collar training if this resolution,, Resolution 3 5-21, were to be implemented. We also believe that it would greatly benefit Hawaii Island. Roughly 24 percent of total statewide participants in Kupu 'Aina Corps were based on Hawai'i Island, making Hawai'i Island one of the best represented communities in the program. There was significant demand for our green jobs program on this island. We also believe that Hawaii Island holds tremendous potential to be a leader in growing the green economy across the pae 4 dina (our islands), and hope that you would approach the island's green job corps in a way that would promote long-term growth and industry. Ultimately, it is our belief that all of the dominant industries in Hawaii already rely upon and benefit from the wellbeing of our 'dina. None of these industries can continue to be viable without a viable environment. We commend you for having the foresight to consider this resolution,, responding to the economic crisis in a way that also gives back to the 'dina. Thank you for the opportunity to voice our strong support for Resolution 35-21, Urging the County ofHawai,1 to establish ajobs corps program for Hawaii Island to help address unemployment impacts of the Covid-19pandemic and to support economic diversification. My staff and I will attend the full council hearing virtually and look forward to answering any questions you may have. Sincerely, JoAh eon 9 John Leong CEO, Kupu 2 of 2