Three Molokai Drugs employees earned national certification as pharmacy technicians ( CPhT), thanks to free training provided by Good Jobs Hawaiʻi, a partnership among the University of Hawaiʻi Community Colleges, employers and organizations that want to help Hawaiʻi residents attain good quality jobs.
By earning the CPhT credential, pharmacy technicians demonstrate their knowledge and commitment in medication safety and effective patient care across pharmacy settings. Cynthia Rawlins is among the newly certified pharmacy technicians. She prepared for the CPhT exam on the weekends and in the evenings—after working a full-time job at Molokai Drugs.
“Thank you to the University of Hawaiʻi Community Colleges and Good Jobs Hawaiʻi for giving me this opportunity,” said Rawlins. “I was able to coordinate my certified pharmacy technician classes while balancing my family life as a wife and a mother and working full-time. I am especially appreciative of the encouragement from my husband, Walter ‘Braj’ Rawlins, Jr. He has been very supportive of my career goals and aspirations.”
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Good Jobs Hawaiʻi provided tuition, fees, books, online classes, onsite training at Molokaʻi Drugs, exam fees and travel to Maui for the CPhT exam. Along with Rawlins, two other Molokai Drugs employees—Precious Asuncion and Tyra-Lynn Mollena-Lopez—became nationally certified pharmacy technicians in fall 2023 through Good Jobs Hawaiʻi.
“We encourage Hawaiʻi companies to partner with the University of Hawaiʻi community colleges to provide ‘upskilling’ for our workforce,” said Kimberly Mikami Svetin, Molokai Drugs president. “At little or no cost to the employer, Good Jobs Hawaiʻi has helped a number of our Molokai Drugs staff garner valuable skills and training. Our employees were able to continue their education on Molokaʻi via synchronous classes and support from their professors at the University of Hawaiʻi Maui College.”
Two more Molokai Drugs employees are taking the pharmacy technician class this spring.
Good Jobs Hawaiʻi offers free skills training in Hawaiʻi’s high-demand sectors including healthcare, technology, clean energy/skilled trades and creative industries that can lead to pathways for better-paying jobs and accelerate careers.
