West Oahu got its first locally run emergency medical technician program, and 14 residents just finished it — good news for a community that has long had to leave home for medical training and jobs.

• Kapiolani Community College brought its EMT course directly to Waianae over the summer, hosted at Leeward Community College's Waianae Moku Education Center and the Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center.
• The 14 graduates went through classroom work, clinical labs, and ambulance field training.
• The goal is to train West Side residents for health care jobs in their own neighborhoods instead of losing them to town.
• Graduates said the program let them build careers close to family and give back where they grew up.
• They are now set to take national certification and can move straight into local jobs.

Outlook: The graduates head for national certification and local hiring, and a first successful class makes a repeat program likely.