249507 Creating Healthy Communities through Hazardous Waste Worker Training Programs: OAI's MWT & EPA Programs

Monday, October 31, 2011: 10:50 AM

Montgomery Proffit , Pre-Employment Education and Training Department, OAI, Inc., Chicago, IL
This presentation will discuss how federal hazardous waste worker training programs, such as NIEHS' Worker Education and Training Program and EPA's Brownfields Job Training Program, effectively meet the needs of communities impacted by public health and environmental hazards by providing impacted community residents with required technical training and critical life skills to create new life and career opportunities that did not previously exist for the individual or their community. Trained residents are able to obtain new green/environmental jobs, become environmental justice advocates which help to both protect the environment and revitalize their communities. OAI, Inc., a non-profit education and job training organization has provided hazardous waste worker training programs, such as NIEHS' Minority Worker Training and EPA Brownfields Job training programs in Chicago and across the country for over 15 years. Successful program models and community and trainee outcomes will be discussed.

Learning Areas:
Occupational health and safety

Learning Objectives:
Explain how hazardous waste worker training programs can promote healthy communities by empowering residents of environmental justice communities to get involved in the cleanup and redevelopment efforts within their communities. Describe how worker training programs are essential to adequately prepare workers for a career in environmental cleanup or construction, but also to address the critical components of environmental justice, including, but not limited to, public health, social issues, economic issues, and employment opportunities. Demonstrate through real-life examples the benefits of federal hazardous waste worker training programs in promoting healthy communities by being better informed and aware of the hazards in their communities. Define the components of a successful training program.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am qualified to present because I oversee OAI's Minority Worker Trainign program funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and work with OAI's EPA Brownfields Job Training program.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

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