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U.S. EPA Brownfields Job Training Program
The Workplace, Inc.
Bridgeport, CT
WORKPLACE, IMC
Core Curriculum
Overview: As Southwestern Connecticut's Regional Workforce Development Board, The Workplace, Inc.
administers workforce development funds and coordinates providers of job training and education programs to meet
the needs of residents and employers in the southwestern Connecticut region. The Workplace, Inc. job training
program provides unemployed and underemployed residents of Connecticut with the skills to assess, clean and
redevelop properties, mitigate potential health risks, and restore economic vitality to areas where brownfields exist.
Funding in the amount of $200,000, provided by a 2009 EPA Brownfields Job Training Grant, enabled The
Workplace, Inc. to fulfill programmatic goals to establish a well-trained workforce for employers whose business it
is to provide remediation services to municipalities,
businesses, and individuals. The Workplace, Inc.
partnered with Environmental Management Geological
Consultants, Inc. to deliver an eight week (340-350
training hours), hands-on Environmental Technician
core curriculum for the job training program. Since the
inception of the program, there have been three cycles
provided by The Workplace, Inc. The first cycle took
place in Norwalk during the summer of 2009 and had a
total of 21 participants. The second cycle included the
areas of Ansonia, Derby, Shelton and Seymour in spring
of 2010 with 13 participants, and the last job training
cycle took place in the same region during the following
summer and had 17 participants. Program graduates
were awarded with state- and nationally-recognized
credentials in Lead and Asbestos Abatement, the OSHA
40-hour HAZWOPER Certification and OSHA 10-hour
Certification.
Environment, Health
Safety and Industrial Hygiene
Remediation Technologies
Lead and Asbestos Abatement
Wastewater Treatment Plants I
Commercial Drivers License training with HazMat and
Tanker endorsement training
Disaster Preparedness/Emergency Planning
OSHA- 40 hour HAZWOPER
OSHA- 10 hour Construction Safety Training
Program Partners
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Environmental
Management Geological Consultants, Inc., Southwestern
CTWorks, Career Resources, Inc., NEON, Inc., Norwalk
Community College, Institute for Environmental
Management and Technology, US Department of Labor,
CT DOL, CT DEP, CT Department of Community and
Economic Development, City of Norwalk, City of Derby,
City of Ansonia, City of Shelton, Town of Seymour
The Workplace, Inc. partnered with the Southwestern
CTWorks One-Stop System to provide a variety of the
employment related services; these supportive services included job search assistance and on-the-job follow-up to
ensure long term success of the program graduates. The organization was also able to use the Workforce Investment
Act, and funding from local corporations and foundations, to leverage additional resources for the students.
Outcomes: The average starting wage for program graduates is
approximately $22.71 per hour. Examples of job training graduates that
have successfully completed the program and transitioned into a career
in the environmental field include:
• Alternation Global Energy General Manager for residential and
commercial energy programs (starting wage: $25/hour).
• Head Electrician, Chief of Field Operations for a commercial energy
group and a starting wage of $30/hour.
• Assistant Advertising Representative to promote residential and
commercial energy programs (starting wage: $20/hour.)
Photo provided by The Workplace, Inc.
March 2011
Local Contact: Alan Gopian, The Workplace, Inc.* (203) 610-8538* agopian@workplace.org
Region 1 EPA Contact: Kathy Castagna* (617) 918-1429* Castagna.Kathleen@epa.gov
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