State unveils $2.1 million Hawaii jobs database site

HireNet Hawaii offers to help link workers with employers

With local firms struggling amid one of the nation's tightest labor markets, state officials yesterday unveiled a new $2.1 million online jobs database designed to help connect employers and job-seekers.

Called HireNet Hawaii, the online system lets job hunters post resumes and employers advertise job openings directly on the system. In addition, a search engine in the site searches company, government and newspaper sites to find jobs. Those job listings are then imported into the HireNet system to create a massive database from several sources.

The system also provides employment statistics, labor market information, descriptions of the training needed to qualify for various occupations, and locations of local schools offering the needed training.

"It is important to us to provide an easy-to-use reliable resource for anyone looking for a job on Hawaii and to assist employers who are looking to expand their work force," said Nelson Befitel, director of the state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, which developed the site.

Paul Toomey, a Florida-based consultant who designed the system, said HireNet Hawaii has been primed with job information posted previously on the labor department's older job bank. Toomey said he expects the database will grow as more people discover the new system's flexibility and features.

Under its contract with Toomey's company, Geographic Solutions, the state will spend approximately $600,000 to $700,000 per year to build and maintain the database, Befitel said. The money is being provided by the federal government as a grant under the Workforce Investment Act, he said.

The site contains a host of search features for employers and job-seekers. Companies can not only post job openings for free, but also create a "resume search agent" that scans the database for resumes that meet the employer's criteria. Job seekers can use the site to create and post resumes and cover letters, and catalog job skills.

Gov. Linda Lingle, who spoke before an unveiling of the system at the state Capitol yesterday, said that a robust economy is essential to produce the taxes needed to support government programs.