Hawaii Community College showcases auto body milestone, career fair, community pride

Classic cars, lifted trucks and a packed career fair turned Hawaii Community College’s Manono campus in Hilo into a live preview of Hawaii Island’s workforce pipeline, as hundreds of students, families and community members came through the gates at 1175 Manono Street.

The center of attention was the Auto Show & Shine, which marked 60 years of Hawaii CC’s Auto Body Repair and Painting program. The program began in 1966, is the only auto body program in the University of Hawaii Community College system and has graduated almost 1,000 technicians. For an island where graduates often stay close to home, that matters. Hawaii CC says most auto body graduates find local employment on Hawaii Island in repair shops, parts stores, paint suppliers and insurance offices.

The show drew more than nostalgia. Visitors watched live demonstrations, checked out custom builds and took in crowd favorites such as car limbo, sound-off contests and articulation-ramp runs for four-wheel-drive vehicles. Program coordinator Garrett Fujioka said the turnout was incredible and said the anniversary made the day especially meaningful for alumni, students and community members who had been part of the program’s history.

Hawaii CC Day was free and open to the public, and the college used the event to connect people with more than 40 local businesses. The career fair reinforced the point that this was not just a campus celebration but a hiring event tied to the island economy. Students and instructors from academic and technical programs met with visitors face to face, answering questions about what each department offers and how those pathways connect to work after graduation.

The Culinary Arts program kept the day moving with food and live cooking demonstrations, while the Agriculture Program sold locally grown produce that reportedly sold out early. The mix of food, machinery and recruiting gave the event a broader feel than a typical open house, with technical training and local culture sharing the same space.

Chancellor Susan S. Kazama framed the day as a way to show what is possible at Hawaii Community College for people thinking about college, changing careers or exploring what the campus offers. The event built on a format that already proved it could draw a crowd. In 2025, nearly 400 students, faculty, staff and community members attended, and the car show drew almost 80 vehicles. This year’s turnout suggested that the college’s blend of hands-on training and island job connections is becoming one of its most effective recruiting tools.