A hospital career fair on Oahu is introducing high school students to hands-on health care jobs, a positive step for the state's health worker shortage.

• Pali Momi Medical Center held a career fair aimed at high schoolers interested in health care paths.
• The Academy for Health Care Innovations offered hands-on training for jobs like medical assistants, certified nurse aides, and surgical technologists — all described as high-demand roles.
• Programs are open to adults 18 and older with a high school diploma or equivalent, not just teens.
• Hospital staff, including a pharmacy manager, let students try real tasks, like grinding medication for patients who can't swallow pills.
• Organizers emphasized that students interested in these fields can volunteer or shadow staff to build experience early.

Outlook: More health care training programs and career fairs are likely as hospitals work to fill ongoing staffing gaps.