News Brief
US Department of Labor, Career Technical Education Center in Idaho Falls align to promote workplace safety, prevent exposure to hazards
Who: U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration
Career Technical Education Center in Idaho Falls
What: OSHA Safety and Health Alliance
Background: OSHA and Idaho Falls School District 91’s the Career Technical Education Center in Idaho Falls have established a two-year alliance to provide CTEC’s students with opportunities to earn OSHA certifications while still in high school, which will give them an edge in today’s competitive job market.
Through the alliance, students, faculty, staff and the general public will receive information, guidance and have access to OSHA training resources to help prevent and reduce workers’ exposure to safety and health hazards. OSHA Area Director David Kearns and the CTEC Coordinator Beverly Hott formalized the alliance.
The agreement creating a framework for information sharing between OSHA and the center on workplace safety and health initiatives, campaigns and emphasis programs. It will support efforts to reduce and prevent exposure to hazards, address safety and health issues related to youth employment and educate students on workers’ rights and employers’ responsibilities under the law. Students in CTEC’s trades programs like welding, industrial mechanics, construction and law enforcement also will have the opportunity to earn OSHA certifications.
During the alliance’s two-year term, OSHA and CTEC will use data to design joint outreach and communication activities, and foster collaboration to train students in workplace safety and health effectively. An implementation team will be created to assess and share information on progress toward the alliance’s goals.
The Career and Technical Education Center serves students in Idaho Falls School District 91, as well as Shelly, Ririe and Firth. CTEC provides high school students with a variety of hands-on career technical education classes, including trades, certified nursing assistant, emergency medical technician, agriculture, culinary arts, firefighting, law enforcement, web design and cyber security.
The OSHA Alliance Program enables organizations to enter voluntarily into a cooperative relationship to raise awareness of OSHA’s initiatives, outreach, communications, training and education.
Quote: “Our alliance with the Career and Technical Education Center will provide tools and resources that will help improve safety for students and staff and inform tomorrow’s workforce about why workplace safety and health are vital,” explained OSHA Area Director David Kearns in Boise, Idaho. “Our OSHA alliance program is fundamental in helping achieve safer, healthier workplaces here in Idaho and elsewhere in the nation.”
“We are very excited about this agreement, which is one of the first with eastern Idaho high schools,” said CTEC coordinator Beverly Hott. “The alliance will provide students with more opportunities to gain the skills, certifications and hands-on experiences they will need to land a good-paying career when they graduate from high school.”
