December 19, 2011
Nation's Building News

The Official Online Newspaper of NAHB

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Workforce Development
Woodstock Job Corps Students Earn Safety Certifications During Week-Long Safety Rodeo
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During a Job Corps Safety Rodeo earlier this year, HBI students Tyler Humphrey (left) and Patrick Clark and a representative from General Electric discuss how to safely install the company’s energy-efficient electrical products.

The Home Builders Institute (HBI) Job Corps program at the Woodstock Job Corps Center near Baltimore certified 135 students in multiple safety programs as part of a week-long Safety Rodeo held earlier this year.

The students participated in certification training for a variety of skills — including an aerial lift, bobcat training, confined space, CPR, fall arrest systems, first aid, forklift and powder-actuated tools.

“Safety is a way of life,” said HBI electrical wiring instructor Robert Ponzo. “The goal of the Safety Rodeo is to ensure that, when students graduate from the program, they have adequate knowledge of safety work practices to continue their career and return home safely every day.”

Representatives from 13 companies — including Hubbell, Square D, General Electric, Ideal, Rab Lighting and Hilti — met with students during the rodeo and provided information on their businesses and potential employment opportunities.

Representatives from the HBI Health & Safety Board also visited during the week.

“Getting safety certifications and learning skills helps us prepare to join the workforce,” said HBI student Patrick Brewer. “We need this knowledge about OSHA, aerial safety and other topics to have a successful career.”

Ponzo organized the week’s event, held in October, to share information about HBI Job Corps training and highlight the student’s skills and successes. Students ended the week by participating in a competition that showcased their safety skills and demonstrated their knowledge of safety. 

Ponzo, who said establishing similar rodeos at Job Corps centers across the country can reinforce safety throughout the Job Corps program, is working with one center to launch its own safety rodeo.

For more information on the Safety Rodeo, call Robert Ponzo at 410-696-9236.

For more information about HBI Job Corps, email Keith Albright, or call him at 800-795-7955 x8911.

 

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