For the first time, Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens offered an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Course in General Construction Outreach Safety. The course, held at the Queens Community Center in Astoria, was held in collaboration with The SuperStorm Sandy Employment Program (SSEP) and Make The Road New York, who are OSHA-authorized trainers. The program is designed to teach workers about their rights, employer responsibilities, and how to file a complaint as well as how to identify, abate, avoid and prevent job related hazards.
By taking this course, job seekers enhanced their employability and increased opportunities for union jobs, while earning their card.
The first 10-hour training took place on June 16 and June 17 from 4 -10 p.m. and was conducted in Spanish. Eighteen people successfully completed the course and were given certificates of achievement and will be issued the OSHA cards after they are processed by The Department of Labor.
The second class in this program will be conducted in English on June 23 and June 24. Due to the overwhelming response, additional classes are currently being formed.
