April 2006

Potential Avenues for Community Colleges to Participate in Homeland Security Training within your state!

Rick Richardson, Executive Director of the National Environmental, Safety & Health Training Association, (PETE Partner Organization) has alerted us to new potential training opportunities within your state’s homeland security program through recent U.S. Department of Homeland Security Rulings.  Please see attached.  NESHTA’s Voluntary Certified Environmental, Health & Safety Certification (CET) program has been approved and meets requirements as "Master Trainer" for its Cooperative Training Outreach Program (CO-OP).  The CET Program's sponsoring organization, NESHTA is also a U.S. DHS FEMA partner for the delivery of a variety of FEMA training.

I encourage you to review the attached PDF files, or forward them to the appropriate associate who is involved or interested in homeland security training.  We appreciate NESHTA, and would like to thank them for keeping us informed.  We encourage you to go to the NESHTA Website and review their organization for possible membership or consider sitting for their Voluntary CET exam.  Below is a summary of NESHTA and their CET program:

www.neshtaorg

The National Environmental, Safety & Health Training Association is a non-profit international society for environmental, safety, health and other technical training and adult education professionals.

Activities central to NESHTA's mission are the promotion of trainer competency through training and education standards, voluntary certification, and peer networking.

NESHTA members subscribe to the philosophy that competent training and education is the most critical component in the effective implementation of safety, health and environmental programs, and that they have a professional responsibility to the people they train to continuously improve their training knowledge and skills.

Trainer Voluntary Certification Programs

NESHTA sponsors, through the independent Certified Environmental, Safety and Health Trainer Board of Certification (CET BOC), two voluntary certifications: the Certified Environmental, Safety & Health Trainer (CET), and Certified Instructional Technologist (CIT).  Follow these links for more information!

Nationally Accredited Certification

Certified Environmental, Safety & Health Trainer

The Certified Environmental, Safety and Health Training (CET) Board of Certification (CET BOC) is an independent certifying body, sponsored by the National Environmental, Safety and Health Training Association.

The CET certification is accredited by the Council of Engineering and Scientific Specialty Boards (CESB), of which the CET BOC is a member. CESB is the principal accrediting organization for engineering and engineering-related voluntary certifications.

The CET is recognized by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security as meeting requirements as "Master Trainer" for its Cooperative Training Outreach Program (CO-OP). The CET Program's sponsoring organization, the National Environmental, Safety and Health Training Association (NESHTA) is also a U.S. DHS FEMA partner for the delivery of a variety of FEMA training.

Certified Environmental, Safety & Health Trainer (CET)

NESHTA (then the National Environmental Training Association) began the development of the CET program in 1984 in response to the perceived need on the part of members -- at that time primarily college U.S. EPA-designated wastewater operator training centers -- as a way to encourage trainer competency in the field. The task of developing the certification was assigned to an independent Board of Certification in 1986. As a voluntary certification, the CET program measures the knowledge of candidates in basic adult education (as one indicator of competency) and confirms the candidates knowledge in the technical specialty area of areas in which they instruct. Technical specialty areas are:

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Emergency Response

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Management and Transportation of Hazardous Materials and Waste

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Occupational Safety and Health

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Radiation Protection

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Wastewater Treatment

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Water Treatment

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Selected other specialties

Certified Instructional Technologist (CIT)

The CIT program was created in 1998 at the specific request of a NESHTA member organization that had earlier adopted the CET program as a career track requirement for their EH&S trainers. The company wanted a parallel program for their non-EH&S trainers. As the adult education ("Instructional Technology," in our parlance) component of the CET program was so well established, it was evident that a trainer certification mirroring the CET program but not linked to a specific technical area would benefit many trainers. The program eligibility requirements are identical to those for the CET, but without the linkage to an EH&S training specialty.

 

 

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON NEHSTA, BECOMING A MEMBER OR THEIR CET PROGRAM GO OR THEIR WEBSITE: www.neshta.org  or contact Rick Richardson, Executive Director at (602) 956-6099.

Call for Papers for PETE’s Joint Northwest & Western Instructor Conference being held August 3-5, 2006 at Olympic Community College – Rapid Response Center in Bremerton, Washington.

Conference Theme is “Building & Maintaining Successful Programs – Sharing Your Success.”  We are looking for interested presenters; please complete the attached “Call for Papers.”  This conference will be held in conjunction with Kirkwood Community College’s CCCHST Refresher Workshop being held on August 2, 2006.

SAVE THE DATE

PETE is pleased to be serving as one of the organizers of a “Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency Workforce Education – National Conference for Educators and Trainers” to be held November 8-10, 2006 at Hudson Valley Community College in Troy, NY.

This conference will provide an opportunity for educational providers (High Schools, Community Colleges, and other Training Programs) to learn about best practices and effective approaches to teaching workforce skills in the energy efficiency and renewable energy trades and industries.  This conference is sponsored by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and PETE is assisting in organizing with the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) and Hudson Valley Community College.  Save the Date and watch www.irecusa.org for more details!