U.S. EPA Brownfields Job Training Program Northwest Regional Workforce Investment Board Waterbury, CT flist lob. Heat M, Best lob Overview: The Northwest Regional Workforce Investment Board (NRWIB) is a nonprofit organization that provides occupational services to unemployed, underemployed, and dislocated workers residing in northwestern Connecticut. The NRWIB was a recipient of a 2009 U.S. EPA Brownfields Job Training Grant, which provided $200,000 for the development and implementation of a job training program to help those seeking employment. Core Curriculum Asbestos Abatement Supervisor - Initial Lead Abatement Supervisor - Initial OSHA- 40 hour HAZWOPER Deconstruction OSHA- 10 hour Construction Safety Training: o Power Hand Tool Safety, Fall Protection, Hazard Communication, Lock Out/Tag Out, Personal Protective Equipment, Scaffolding/Ladders, Confined Space, Bloodborne Pathogens EPA Lead Safety for Renovation, Repair and Painting DOE Lead Safe Weatherization Hazardous Materials Transportation (DOT) Respiratory Protection Hearing Conservation Sampling Techniques Above Ground and Underground Storage Tanks Program Partners Although the NRWIB job training program focuses mainly on the City of Waterbury, the organization strives to provide employment services for the forty-one local municipalities in their service area. Typically, the participants that have been involved in the program are residents from Waterbury, Torrington, Danbury, and areas in Naugatuck Valley. As of January 2011, there have been 3 cycles of the job training program completed at Naugatuck Valley Community College. Each cycle was five weeks in length and had approximately 20 individuals enrolled. Participants: Qualified candidates are brought into the program through the "construction funnel" approach in which participants are initially screened and selected based on specific criteria developed by NRWIB. The candidates are then given tools for basic soft skills that will help them to succeed well beyond the boundaries of the program, including resume writing and interview skills; this is done to ensure that the participants are equipped with work readiness tools before the job training begins. Once the participants are enrolled, the class transitions from soft skills training into the core curriculum of the program. Participants are expected to maintain a schedule of Monday through Friday, 8 am -5 pm, to fulfill the 200-hour course load. Outcomes: The NRWIB job training program is designed to help graduates complete the program and find local employment opportunities. Currently, there is a 75% job placement rate for NRWIB graduates. Examples of job training graduates that have successfully completed the program and transitioned into a career in the environmental field include: • Nathan E. was a participant in the first cycle of job training in 2009. He graduated and received placement with Cabrera Services as a Radiological Control Technician. • Steve E. graduated from the first cycle of the program and received placement as an Energy Auditor for Wesson Oil in Waterbury, CT with a starting wage of $60,000.00/yr. photo provided by NRWIB. • Kyle B. and Anthony H. graduated from the second cycle of job training and received placement in the Laborer's Union - Local 611 (starting wage $14.75/hr). U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Environmental Management Geological Consultants, Inc., Naugatuck Valley Community College, Waterbury Development Corporation, and New Opportunities, Inc. March 2011 Local Contact: Catherine Awwad, NRWIB* (203)574-6971 x426* Catherine.Awwad@nrwib.org Region 1 EPA Contact: Kathy Castagna* (617) 918-1429* Castagna.Kathleen@epa.gov ------- |