Hawaiian Airlines Partners with Arizona State University to Create Scholarship Fund

Hawaiian Airlines, based in Honolulu, announced a new scholarship fund that encourages college students to study information technology.

A $100,000 scholarship fund was established by the airline and Arizona State University's W. P. Carey School of Business. It will be available starting in the fall 2023 semester.

Hawaiian Airlines New Horizons Scholarship grants will award $10,000 each year to up to two undergraduate students who live in Hawaii and are enrolled at ASU's Information Systems program. This news comes three years following the opening of a technology center at Hawaiian Airlines in Arizona.

John Jacobi (Senior Vice President, Chief Information Officer) spoke out about the new scholarship program.

"Information technology touches every aspect of Hawaiian Airlines. We will continue to grow our technology team with a focus on improving our operations and the guest experience. We are delighted to partner with Arizona State's exceptional IT program and offer Hawai'i students a unique opportunity to succeed in this exciting field. Of course, we also hope graduates will consider building a career right here at home with our airline." - John Jacobi, Hawaiian Airlines Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer

Hawaiian opened an Information Technology Center in Tempe (AZ), near Phoenix, on January 6, 2020. According to Hawaiian, the new space will complement Hawaiian's technical capabilities in Honolulu as well as increase the company's ability hire IT professionals from the U.S. mainland. The carrier is the largest office located outside of Honolulu and has partnered with ASU, as well as other educational institutions, to offer IT internships.

Since opening the center, Hawaiian has been flying to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport every day from Honolulu International Airport.

ASU's W.P. Ohad Kadan, Carey School of Business Dean expressed his gratitude for the partnership with Hawaiian

"We are incredibly grateful for this new scholarship to support our students from Hawai'i in partnership with Hawaiian Airlines. This partnership aligns well with our vision of providing access to excellent and innovative business education." Ohad Kadan, Dean of W.P. Carey School of Business at ASU

Juniors and seniors with a minimum 3.0 GPA and primary residence in Hawaii are eligible for the scholarship. According to the airline, applications must be submitted by February 1, 2023 to Arizona State University.

Hawaiian's IT staff is large enough to accommodate graduates who are interested in working there. Nearly 300 employees work in different IT roles at Hawaiian, including software engineers and architects, database managers and business analysts.

Workforce development initiatives

The new scholarship program is part of Hawaiian's workforce development efforts. The airline partnered last summer with Honolulu Community College's Aeronautics Maintenance Program, allowing mechanics to instruct classes. The carrier joined the University of Hawaii's IT/Cyber Leap Start Experience Excelerator Program in September to offer students on-the-job training.

Forbes named Hawaiian the top employer in Hawaii, and it said Hawaiian is actively recruiting for hundreds of IT positions. Internships also are available.

 

Source: simpleflying.com