You’re probably familiar with our campus’s big, high-profile buildings like Pa’ina (all things culinary), Ka’a’ike (IT, media, electronics) and Ho’okipa (admissions, counseling, human resources). You may not be familiar with a small building tucked between our Auto Body shop and the Pilina Building. It’s The Learning Center, or TLC, and it’s a hub of both student and community activity.

Our Pharmacy Tech program recently worked with CVS to convert the building’s reception area into a “mock pharmacy” for our students. Another room will soon be converted so that health care programs from other UH campuses, like Kapi’olani Community College’s Occupational Therapy Assistant program and Kaua’i Community College’s Medical Assisting program, can be brought to Maui.

TLC houses our Testing Center with testing services for both our students and faculty. And as part of UH-MC’s commitment to be an integral part of our entire Maui Nui community, TLC also offers certification tests for a wide range of professionals. Chances are good that your auto mechanic, plumber, pharmacist, even the crane operators you see high overhead working on phone and electrical lines on your street and the TSA agents who screen you at the airport, took their certification exams at UH-MC. The list of professional certification tests offered at the center is extremely long and varied — from teachers to firefighters and EMTs, from EKG technicians to food safety officers and IT specialists and many, many more.

We’re pleased to offer this service, especially since industry-validated certifications are gaining more and more importance. As a result of legislation passed in 2021, the state is recognizing and requiring reporting of these certifications. And most of the statewide workforce training initiatives at all education levels center around the Promising Credentials report that identifies these “industry-validated” credentials. In fact, UH is offering eligibility for $200 gift cards to UH alumnae and students who report their credentials. For more information on this, visit irc.hawaii.edu/faqs.php.

Melissa Yoshioka has been our testing coordinator for more than 10 years.

“We work with testing vendors nationwide,” explained Yoshioka, “and ours is the only testing facility in Maui County. So we always have people coming from Moloka’i, Lana’i, even Hawai’i Island and O’ahu when its facility’s schedule is full. We even have professionals who are vacationing on Maui and decide to take their certification or recertification exams here. Our small center can be easier to access and less stressful.”

The newest tests offered at the center are for health care professionals, specifically certified nurse assistants, or CNAs. This certification was added just this spring and directly addresses the critical shortage of nurses in our county. It’s particularly exciting to Yoshioka.

“We can now give the test to our own nursing students. They go through their training here. Now they can get certified here,” said Yoshioka.

It’s obviously much more convenient to be able to schedule the exams upon completion of students’ training. And, being located on campus can save money.

“It’s very rewarding to be able to provide the certification testing service right on site for our students in all fields,” she added.

“A couple of years ago, we began working with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA),” Yoshioka said. “Most of the folks who come here for their tests are drone pilots, helicopter pilots, aeronautical instrument mechanics, and private pilots. We just recently administered our first ever commercial pilot’s test.”

Many fields require their professionals to be recertified periodically.

“Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) certified professionals, for example, have to take nine tests and need to be recertified every four and five years,” said Yoshioka.

With so many different tests to administer, Yoshioka is knowledgeable in a wide variety of methods as well as a wide variety of subjects.

“Some tests require booklets like the ones for crane operators — they have to do calculations that require them to look at illustrations and graphics,” she explained. “We also work closely with the Maui Fire Department. We do all their EMT licensing during the recruitment process and while they’re in training.”

We’re proud of Melissa and the way our Testing Center continues to grow. As she said, “We really help the community. We help people save a buck and a little bit of stress, too.” And relieving the stress is due mostly to Melissa and her commitment to our Testing Center.

To learn more about all the services provided at the testing center, please visit maui.hawaii.edu/tlc/home/testing/ or call (808) 984-3240 or email uhmctlc@hawaii.edu.

For complete information about UH-MC, see maui.hawaii.edu/. And, for fall 2023 registration information, visit maui.hawaii.edu/registration/#fall.

* Dr. Lui K. Hokoana is Chancellor of the University of Hawai’i Maui College. Ka’ana Mana’o, which means “sharing thoughts,” is scheduled to appear on the fourth Sunday of each month. It is prepared with assistance from UH-Maui College staff and is intended to provide the community of Maui County information about opportunities available through the college at its Kahului campus and its education centers.