Hawaii CTE Pathway Profile

Hawaii at a glance

Hawaii runs public education as one statewide school district. The Hawaii State Department of Education (HIDOE) operates every public school under one Board of Education, so there are no local districts, ISDs, area career centers or CTE districts to work through. Schools are funded through a statewide weighted student formula rather than local property taxes. A new pathway is built as one of HIDOE’s statewide programs of study, organized under 13 career pathways (for example Health Services; Building and Construction; Advanced Manufacturing; IT and Digital Transformation). At the state level, CTE is governed by the State Board for CTE, administered by Hawaiʻi P-20 Partnerships for Education and advised by the CTE Coordinating Advisory Council, and Perkins V flows from the State CTE Office at the University of Hawaii to HIDOE. (Confirmed)

The career planning requirement is the Personal Transition Plan (PTP), a required 0.5-credit diploma component. Starting with the class of 2030 (students entering grade 9 in 2026-27), financial literacy is documented through the PTP. (PTP credit Confirmed; financial literacy requirement reported by news sources, Confirm with the agency.)

CTE is one of three ways to meet a 2-credit diploma requirement. Each graduate needs 2 credits in a single world language, a single fine arts discipline, or two credits in a single career pathway program of study sequence (two consecutive JROTC courses also count). CTE is therefore an option, not a universal requirement. (Confirmed)

The articulation backbone is the University of Hawaii system: Early College (free, at the high school) and Running Start (on a UH campus, student-paid). HIDOE also uses the term Dual-Credit Articulated Program of Study (DCAPS), but no current list of DCAPS agreements was found. (Early College and Running Start Confirmed; DCAPS Confirm with the agency.)

What is most different for someone starting a pathway: you do not file a school-level program application, because programs of study are approved statewide. The second-agency approvals still apply school by school. Nurse aide and EMT training in practice run through certified partners, mostly UH community colleges, and the state treats students in school-approved work-based learning as State employees for workers’ compensation (HRS § 302A-430).

Who approves what in Hawaii

Opening a state-approved CTE program in Hawaii

In Hawaii you adopt an existing statewide program of study rather than apply for a new one. The Hawaiʻi State CTE Plan places program-of-study approval with the State Board for CTE. No school-level new-program application was found, and the earlier inventory reference to an approval by HIDOE’s Office of Curriculum and Instructional Design could not be confirmed. Ask HIDOE’s CTE office and the State Director’s office how a school adds a program of study and whether a new program of study can be proposed. (Confirm with the agency)

A program meets the State CTE Plan’s size, scope and quality criteria when it has adequate facilities, technology and staff; at least one state-approved program of study; sequenced coursework; alignment to high-skill, high-wage or in-demand occupations; employer engagement; and state and local industry advisory committees. (Confirmed)

To show demand, use the DLIR Research and Statistics Office long-term projections, 2024-2034 (released July 28, 2026), on the Hawaiʻi Workforce Infonet. County projections are released in odd-numbered years. (Confirmed)

The funding tie runs through Perkins V. HIDOE submits a Perkins local application every two years with a four-year strategic plan. School plans are due by November 30, with reviews from November to May, and school budget plans tie spending to the needs assessment. (Confirmed; Changing: recheck dates each cycle)

The second-agency approvals are where your timeline is set:

• Nurse aide. Med-QUEST certifies each program under HAR ch. 17-1444. You file a written request with a curriculum in the agency’s format; DHS decides within 90 days, may do an on-site review and may make unannounced visits; certification lasts up to two years. Med-QUEST’s July 11, 2025 list shows high schools operating as satellite sites of certified programs (Farrington, Kauai and Mililani under Leeward Community College; Hilo, Kealakehe and Waiakea under a private provider’s lab). No HIDOE school-run certified program appears. Plan on the partner route and confirm the current list. (Confirmed as of July 2025; Confirm with the agency)
• EMT. DOH approves all EMS courses, and state law assigns EMS training to the University of Hawaii. Kapiolani Community College runs the EMT Certificate of Competence statewide with county partners. (Confirmed)
• Electrical and other trades. No second-agency approval applies to the school program itself. Paid placements of apprentices need an agreement registered with DLIR within 30 days to use the child labor exemption. (Confirmed)
• Credential list. HIDOE publishes no credential request process. (Confirm with the agency)

For the full sequence and a month-by-month plan, see Launching a CTE Pathway: Sequence and Approvals Timeline and the Approvals and Applications toolkit.

Funding streams for Hawaii CTE

Under Perkins rules, general-purpose equipment, buildings and capital improvements need prior written approval, and special-purpose equipment of $10,000 or more also needs prior approval (2 CFR 200.439). The U.S. Department of Labor administers Perkins day to day under a 2025 interagency agreement; the U.S. Department of Education keeps statutory authority, and Perkins V requirements are unchanged. (Confirmed; Changing: recheck before use)

For equipment lists and the funding comparison across states, see the Facilities and Equipment toolkit.

Pathway rules at a glance

HIDOE program-of-study names below are Confirmed. HIDOE-assigned CIP codes and course codes were not published for any pathway (Confirm with the agency).

Wave 2 pathways

Working with minors in Hawaii

Certificates. A 16- or 17-year-old needs a Certificate of Age (eCL-3) from the DLIR Wage Standards Division before starting paid work. The student gets it online, and no job offer is needed. Students aged 14 and 15 need a Certificate of Employment (CL-1) before starting. (Confirmed)

Hours. Hawaii sets no hour limits for 16- and 17-year-olds except during required school hours. Federal law also sets none at 16 and 17. (Confirmed)

State hazardous-work rules. Hawaii’s hazardous orders for minors are in HAR ch. 12-25 and largely track the federal Hazardous Occupations Orders. There is no state order for electrical work, scaffolds or ladders. Federal limits still apply on top: there is no student-learner exemption for hoists, forklifts and aerial lifts (HO 7), driving or outside helper work (HO 2), or demolition (HO 15). (Confirmed) For agriculture, HAR § 12-25-57 adds restricted-pesticide work for under-16s and has no vocational agriculture exemption anywhere in ch. 12-25. (Confirmed) Whether HRS ch. 390 adds one is open. (Confirm with the agency)

The student-learner exemption. Hawaii has no single student-learner section. Student-learner and apprentice exemptions sit inside §§ 12-25-43, -46, -47, -49, -51, -53 and -54. Section 12-25-48 (bakery machines) has no exemption, so employed minors may not run power-driven mixers, including countertop mixers. Section 12-25-56 (logging and sawmill) has no student-learner exemption. Read the specific section for each task. To use it: (Confirmed)

1. Enroll the student in a cooperative vocational training program authorized and approved by the Department of Education.
2. Keep the hazardous work intermittent and brief, under direct and close supervision of a qualified person.
3. Give school safety instruction correlated with the on-the-job training.
4. Use a written agreement that meets 29 CFR 570.50(c), signed by the employer and the school coordinator or principal. Hawaii’s rule requires a DOE-approved cooperative vocational program, brief supervised work and school safety instruction. It does not require a separate state agreement, but the federal written student-learner agreement is still needed. (Confirmed)

The apprentice route. An apprentice or trainee agreement must be registered with DLIR within 30 days. (Confirmed)

Filing and templates. No HIDOE work-based learning agreement template was found. Ask HIDOE CTE for its current training agreement and training plan forms. (Confirm with the agency)

Licensed trades at work sites. Students may do electrical or plumbing work only as trainees under a licensed electrician or plumber who is physically present at the project site (HRS § 448E-9(b); HAR § 16-80-4). (Confirmed)

Workers’ compensation. When a student in a school-approved WBL program offered by DOE or UH works for a private or public employer, paid or unpaid, the State is the responsible employer for workers’ compensation, and that coverage is the student’s exclusive remedy against the State and the employer (HRS § 302A-430). Coverage ends when student status ends; HB 1068 (2026) proposed extending it to new graduates. (Confirmed; HB 1068 Changing)

Nurse aide clinicals. Federal HO 7 treats powered patient lifts as hoists. A 16- or 17-year-old who has completed nurse aide training and competency evaluation may only assist an adult-led team under the six conditions of DOL Field Assistance Bulletin 2011-3. (Confirmed)

See Working with Minors in CTE Pathways and the Clinical and Work-Based Learning Partnerships toolkit.

Teacher certification routes for CTE in Hawaii

The Hawaii Teacher Standards Board (HTSB) licenses CTE teachers in 13 fields that match HIDOE’s 13 career pathways (for example Health Services; Building and Construction; Advanced Manufacturing; IT and Digital Transformation; Business Management, Finance, and Marketing). HTSB approved the change on March 28, 2025 (NBI 24-24), effective July 1, 2025. Current CTE licensees move to the new fields at renewal starting January 1, 2026. Choose the field that matches your program’s pathway. (Confirmed)

Industry-experience routes.

• CTE Permit. For people without a teaching license who are employed by HIDOE or a public charter school when no licensed teacher is available. It requires a high school diploma or equivalent, at least three years of satisfactory full-time experience in the field, and valid industry licenses or certifications where they exist for the field. It is valid five years (to June 30 of year five), renewable once. The applicant files with HTSB, the school administrator verifies the need, HIDOE Teacher Recruitment reviews, and HTSB approves. (Confirmed from the HTSB/HIDOE verification form dated Dec. 31, 2025; Confirm with the agency whether any coursework is required)
• Standard Limited License in CTE. Five years, renewable. It requires three years of industry experience in the license field and completion of a state-approved teacher education program, and restricts teaching to that field. (Confirmed)
• Emergency Hire Permit. One year, reissued up to twice. (Confirmed)
• HTSB says processing can take up to six weeks in peak periods. (Confirmed)

Adding a CTE field. A licensed teacher adds a field by licensure exam or 30 semester credits, 15 of them at the 300 level or higher. (Confirmed) Leeward Community College runs an alternative CTE licensure program. (Confirm with the agency)

Alternatives when you cannot hire. Hawaii has no shared-time regional centers, so the alternatives are partners:

• Dual enrollment through Early College or Running Start, taught by UH faculty.
• A certified provider, such as a UH community college or a private provider that runs the nurse aide program at your school as a satellite site.
• Industry adjuncts: no adjunct statute was found. The nurse aide rule already builds a team of RN, LPN and therapist under RN oversight.
• Online or hybrid delivery for college coursework; nurse aide clinical hours stay in person.

(Confirmed)

Pathway-specific add-ons.

• Nurse aide. The program needs an RN with at least two years of nursing experience, one in nursing facility services, plus a course in teaching adults or adult-teaching experience. The 30 hours of basic nursing skills are taught and directly supervised by an RN; personal care hours by an LPN under RN supervision; restorative hours by a licensed or certified therapist. In current high school programs this RN is usually partner staff. (Confirmed)
• EMT. DOH sets standards for EMS course instructors and training facilities and approves course materials in advance. Deliver through a DOH-approved provider such as Kapiolani CC. (Confirmed)
• Electrical, construction, HVAC and welding. Hawaii’s NCCER sponsor and AWS SENSE site registrations were not researched. (Confirm with the agency) Work-site supervision of electrical and plumbing work requires a licensed person on site. (Confirmed)
• Programming. HTSB reinstated academic Computer Science fields in 2018 (NBI 18-08), with Praxis 5652 accepted for content. (Confirm with the agency on current field status)
• Culinary. An inventory claim that instructors must hold a ServSafe Manager certification has no source, and Hawaii’s food code does not require a certified food protection manager. Do not treat it as a rule. (Confirm with the agency)

Pay for industry experience. Whether Hawaii limits salary credit for prior experience to military service was not verified. (Confirm with the agency)

See the Staffing toolkit.

Graduation credit and college eligibility in Hawaii

Where CTE fits in the diploma. The Hawaii diploma requires 24 credits: English 4; social studies 4; mathematics 3 (Algebra 1, Geometry and one math elective); science 3 (Biology 1 and two science electives); physical education 1; health 0.5; Personal Transition Plan 0.5; electives 6; and 2 credits in one of three areas: a single world language, a single fine arts discipline, or two credits in a single career pathway program of study sequence (two consecutive JROTC courses also count). Two unrelated CTE electives do not meet it. CTE credits count toward that 2-credit requirement and toward electives. (Confirmed, checked October 3, 2026)

Substitution and embedded credit. No statewide rule lets a CTE course replace or carry core academic credit. HIDOE’s model keeps academic and CTE requirements separate, so integrate academic content into CTE courses rather than substitute for core courses. Any substitution would be a HIDOE policy decision. (Confirm with the agency)

Career plan. The Personal Transition Plan is a required 0.5-credit component. (Confirmed)

Financial literacy. Starting with the class of 2030 (grade 9 in 2026-27), financial literacy is required for graduation and documented through the PTP. Schools may offer it as a standalone elective, integrate it into existing courses, use self-paced options, or use other designs aligned to HIDOE standards. Whether a business or finance CTE course can carry it is a delivery choice to confirm. (Reported by news sources, including Civil Beat in August 2026; HIDOE’s own memo not found. Confirm with the agency)

CTE Honors Recognition Certificate. A student completes two program-of-study courses with a B or better in each, meets proficiency on the Performance-Based Assessment (technical writing, oral presentation and a performance task), and holds a 3.0 cumulative GPA. (Confirmed) AP Computer Science A and Principles count toward advanced math only for Academic or STEM Honors recognition. (Confirmed)

Effect on University of Hawaii admission. UH Mānoa’s freshman core is English 4, mathematics 3 including Algebra I, Algebra II and Geometry, science 3, social studies 3, and 4 other college-prep units; Hawaii residents with a 3.2 GPA who meet the core are admitted. The HIDOE diploma requires only Algebra 1, Geometry and one math elective, so a student who takes a CTE-related or other math elective in place of Algebra II meets the diploma but not Mānoa’s math core. Keep Algebra II in every CTE student’s plan. UH Mānoa’s page does not say whether CTE courses count as “other college-prep” units; it names a fourth year of math, science or social science and world language. (Confirmed for Mānoa; other UH campuses and NCAA core lists not checked. Confirm with the agency)

For curriculum and credit design, see the Curriculum toolkit.

Articulation and dual enrollment in Hawaii

Hawaii’s dual credit runs through one partner, the University of Hawaii system, in two statewide forms:

• Early College. College courses free to public high school students, taught on the high school campus, online or hybrid. In 2023-24, 53 high schools took part with all 10 UH campuses. Some schools run it as a cohort toward a college certificate. (Confirmed)
• Running Start. Students attend a UH campus and are taught by college instructors. Students pay tuition; GEAR UP Hawaiʻi covers one course per semester for eligible students. The high school transcript shows high school-equivalent credit. (Confirmed)

DCAPS. HIDOE uses the term Dual-Credit Articulated Program of Study (DCAPS), and earlier summaries describe DCAPS as statewide CTE articulation agreements between HIDOE and the UH Community Colleges. No current DCAPS agreement list, credit amounts, eligibility rules or update dates were found, and no pathway-specific DCAPS agreement was found for any of the eight wave 1 pathways. Ask HIDOE CTE or UHCC Academic Affairs for the current list before promising articulated credit. Use Early College or Running Start when you need guaranteed college credit. (Confirm with the agency)

Expiring agreements. None identified, because no dated DCAPS agreements were found. (Confirm with the agency)

Pathway examples.

• EMT. Kapiolani CC’s Certificate of Competence in EMT is 15.6 credits, delivered on Oʻahu, Kauaʻi, Maui and Hawaiʻi Island through partners. Admission requires good academic standing (GPA 2.0) and a Health Careers information session; listed prerequisites (ENG 100 and HLTH 125) would need Early College to reach. High school eligibility and a minimum age are not stated. (Confirmed; Confirm with the agency on high school access)
• Nurse aide. Kapiolani CC’s nurse aide course is 6 credits, about 8 weeks and 150 hours, with tuition of about $880; Kauai CC offers a 5-credit Certificate of Competence. Neither page addresses high school enrollment. (Confirmed; Changing: recheck tuition before use)
• Welding. Honolulu CC’s Welding Technology program is built to AWS entry-level standards. Its Summer CTE Academy offered welding to rising 10th-12th graders and recent graduates in 2025; 2026 details were pending. (Confirmed; Changing)
• Automotive. Kealakehe High School’s Early College 2.0 Automotive Mechanics Technology cohort earns up to 36 Hawaiʻi CC credits toward an AAS over two years. (Confirmed)
• Electrical, cybersecurity and networking. No statewide secondary-to-postsecondary articulation was found. (Confirm with the agency)

Open questions for Hawaii agencies

1. HIDOE CTE and the State Director’s office (Hawaiʻi P-20): How does a school add an existing program of study, and can a new program of study be proposed? Is there a school-level application or form?
2. HIDOE CTE: Is there a list of approved industry-recognized credentials by program, and how is a credential added? What are the HIDOE-assigned CIP codes and course codes for each program of study?
3. HIDOE CTE or UHCC Academic Affairs: Which DCAPS agreements are current, what credit do they award, who is eligible, and when were they last updated?
4. DHS Med-QUEST: Does any HIDOE high school hold its own nurse aide program certification, and which high schools are current satellite sites of certified programs? Does DHS require written agreements between non-facility programs and clinical sites, and does it use an equipment checklist during on-site reviews? Does DHS allow online or hybrid theory hours?
5. DCCA and Prometric: Is the Prometric Candidate Information Bulletin (rev. 2017) still current, and is age 18 still applied at testing?
6. DOH EMS and the Hawaii Medical Board: What course length is expected now that HAR § 16-85-56 is repealed? Can a HIDOE school be a DOH-approved EMT training site under HRS § 321-229, or must it deliver through UH? Is a medical director required for a training course?
7. Kapiolani CC: Can high school students enroll in the EMT Certificate of Competence and the nurse aide course, and at what minimum age?
8. HTSB: What are the full CTE Permit requirements (any coursework minimum)? What is the current status of the academic Computer Science fields? Does any rule require a licensed teacher of record when an industry adjunct teaches?
9. DLIR Wage Standards Division: Is the posted HAR ch. 12-25 text current?
10. HIDOE CTE and the State Department of Education risk office: Which programs count as “school-approved” for workers’ compensation under HRS § 302A-430? Did HB 1068 (2026) pass? Is there a HIDOE work-based learning agreement template?
11. HIDOE: Is there any state-funded CTE equipment line, and does the weighted student formula carry a CTE weight?
12. HIDOE: Provide the official memo or Board policy for the class of 2030 financial literacy requirement and say whether a CTE business or finance course can carry it.
13. University of Hawaii: Do CTE courses count toward Mānoa’s “other college-prep” units, and what are the course requirements at Hilo and West Oʻahu?
14. NCCER and AWS: Which Hawaii high schools are NCCER Accredited Training Sponsor sites or AWS SENSE schools, and who is the NCCER sponsor in Hawaii?
15. DLIR: Does HRS ch. 390 add an agricultural exemption that HAR § 12-25-57 lacks?
16. DOH Food Safety Branch: Does a HIDOE student restaurant need a food establishment permit under HAR ch. 11-50, or does the agency-inspection exemption in § 11-50-3(d)(1) apply?
17. County liquor commissions: What bartending ages and other limits do commission rules set? Can a HIDOE program use the approved job training exception in HRS § 281-78(b)(4), which names only UH, community college and federal programs?
18. DOH Indoor and Radiological Health Branch: What X-ray registration and operator rules apply to dental assistants, and does HRS ch. 466J exempt them?
19. DHS Child Care Licensing: Did the adopted 2024 HAR ch. 17-892.2 keep the proposed staff ages (aides 16, teachers 18), how are minors fingerprinted, and does a HIDOE lab preschool qualify for the DOE-certified exemption in HRS § 346-152?
20. County fire departments and HIDOE CTE: Does any county certify firefighters through IFSAC or Pro Board? What are the Fire and Emergency Services course codes, and which schools offer the program?
21. DCCA Motor Vehicle Repair Industry Board: Do students in paid automotive placements need registered helper status, and does an automotive teacher need a mechanic license?
22. Attorney General: Did the 2026 legislature move the law enforcement certification deadline, and what certification age did the final rule set?

Review status and sources

Last checked October 2-3, 2026. Wave 1 facts come from a verified source ledger and toolkit research completed October 2, 2026; diploma requirements, UH Mānoa admission and the financial literacy requirement were rechecked live on October 3, 2026. Corrections on October 3, 2026 covered the student-learner sections in HAR ch. 12-25 (read in full), the state agreement question, the program-of-study wording for the 2-credit requirement, the Perkins administration wording and the labor-market source. Wave 2 rows were verified in a second research round on October 3, 2026; open items are listed above. Labels: Confirmed (checked against a primary source), Confirm with the agency (not settled), Changing (dated or pending).

Governance, approval and funding

• Hawaiʻi State CTE Plan (May 9, 2025)
• HIDOE Career & Technical Education
• HIDOE CTE Pathways and Program Standards
• UH State CTE Office, About Perkins
• 20 U.S.C. 2355 (Perkins V local uses); 2 CFR 200.439
• DOL release on Perkins administration (Sept. 8, 2025); DOL release (May 13, 2026)
• HI SB 440 HD1 (2026)

Graduation and college admission

• HIDOE Graduation Requirements
• UH Mānoa Freshman Admission
• Civil Beat, financial literacy requirement (Aug. 2026); Hawaii News Now (Jan. 10, 2026)

Teacher licensure

• HTSB License and Permit Information
• HTSB NBI 24-24
• HTSB/HIDOE CTE Permit Verification form (Dec. 31, 2025)
• HTSB NBI 18-08 (Computer Science fields)

Health pathways

• HAR ch. 17-1444 (nurse aide programs); HAR § 17-1444-4
• Med-QUEST Certified NATCEP and RN Evaluators (July 11, 2025)
• HAR ch. 16-89A (nurse aide registry); Prometric Hawaii CNA bulletin
• HAR ch. 16-85 (EMS personnel); EMP-01 license application
• HRS § 321-229; Kapiolani CC EMT
• WHD Field Assistance Bulletin 2011-3

Trades, minors and work-based learning

• HAR ch. 12-25 (child labor); DLIR Child Labor
• HAR ch. 12-30 (apprenticeship)
• HAR ch. 12-25 full text (DLIR PDF) (read Oct. 3, 2026)
• DLIR forecast for jobs and industries through 2034 (checked Oct. 3, 2026)
• HIDOE Graduation Requirements brochure (checked Oct. 3, 2026)
• HRS ch. 448E (electricians and plumbers)
• DCCA contractor RME requirements; HAR § 16-77-18
• HRS § 302A-430; HB 1068 (2026)
• 29 CFR 570.50; 40 CFR 82.161

Dual credit

• UH Early College; UH Running Start
• Hawaiʻi P-20 Dual Credit
• Kapiolani CC Nurse Aide; Honolulu CC Summer CTE Academy

Wave 2

• HRS ch. 437B (mechanics); HRS ch. 439 (cosmetology)
• HRS § 346-152 (child care exemptions)
• Hawaii Tax Facts 99-4 (GET)
• Pro Board, Hawaii agencies
• HAR ch. 16-78 (beauty schools); HAR ch. 16-79 (dentistry)
• HAR ch. 11-50 (food code, 2025); HRS § 281-78 (alcohol)
• HDOA proposed HAR ch. 4-66 amendments; HAR ch. 19-133.2 (safety inspectors)

CareerConnectedSchools.org guides and toolkits

• Launching a CTE Pathway: Sequence and Approvals Timeline; Working with Minors in CTE Pathways
• Toolkits: Staffing · Clinical and Work-Based Learning Partnerships · Approvals and Applications · Facilities and Equipment · Curriculum · Scheduling and Student Timing
• Wave 2 pathway guides: Automotive · Medical and Dental Assisting · Cosmetology · Agriculture · Early Childhood Education · Culinary Arts and Hospitality · Machining and Mechatronics · Engineering and Drafting · Firefighting · Law, Public Safety and Corrections · Business Management and Marketing · Entrepreneurship