Because we innovate, LIUNA workers are trained and ready for anything.
LIUNA Training didn't become a leader in training by doing the same things as everyone else. We became a leader by innovating and pioneering, testing and refining. Right from the start, we looked for innovative approaches and techniques to make training more effective. We focused on instructor training like none before us. We introduced new courses as the construction world changed. All of it with the goal of making workers more successful in their quest for safer jobs and living wages. And we continue to innovate, every day.
activity-based, student-centered instruction into all LIUNA CCL curricula.
Traditionally, classroom education used a lecture-based approach with the student playing a passive observer role. Research showed that the more you engage a student the better they learn and so nearly a decade ago, LIUNA Training embraced active learning techniques that were previously confined to on-the-job training or laboratory exercises. We incorporated student-centered, activity-based training into our classrooms by involving students in problem solving, role playing, learning games, and real life case studies. Here they're not just listening to a lecture, they're discovering, processing and applying information. We wove these elements into every single course, industry wide and shared our instructional techniques with other trade training organizations. The result: more effective training and new ways to develop the workforce.
Before our program, most CCL instructors came right from the field and started teaching with very little training on how to be an instructor. Most learned on-the-job and by observing other trainers. With our new instructor training model, we brought in educators to 'train the trainers,' developed instructor curricula and skills standards, and helped instructors stay up to date with advances in educational techniques and adult learning theory. We also included a dual focus on both industry and educational skills. We created a professional program that goes well beyond the casual workshop and establishes a career path.
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Today, LIUNA Training sets the standard for workforce instructor training. Our program:
- received independent accreditation;
- established trade instructor skill standards;
- incorporated innovative teaching methods; and
- promoted professionalism through ongoing education and new career opportunities.
In short, the LIUNA Training Instructor Credentialing Program gives CCL educators The Power to Excel.
When the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) passed, LIUNA Training was out in front fighting for an amendment for training and safety standards that would protect environmental remediation workers. With the Superfund amendment came the funds to create a worker training program. The National Institute of Environmental Sciences (NIEHS) was appointed as overseer and LIUNA Training received one of the first training grants.
Because laborers make up the largest portion of the hazardous waste cleanup workforce, LIUNA Training had a duty to move quickly and a responsibility to create the highest quality training program possible. Working with other trades, we developed the Minimum Criteria document which specifies training content, testing requirements, instructor qualifications and other quality criteria. Drawing upon scientific, medical, and industry expertise, we created a training program and curriculum that remains as the hazardous waste remediation industry standard. Rather than train to the minimum legal requirements, we emphasized skills acquisition and safe work practices as well as technical knowledge. The addition of extra hands-on training time increased workers' skills and gave them valuable practice conducting tasks while suited in protective gear. Our course far exceeds the minimum criteria recommendations because its primary purpose is to ensure worker safety by developing their skills and instilling knowledge of safe practices and worker rights.
Today our training centers prepare more than 5,000 workers every year to work safely on environmental remediation jobs.
an industry that does not generally have established training programs and has one of the highest accident/injury rates in the construction industry. We have begun developing a residential worker training program to standardize residential reconstruction and retrofit training nationwide that certifies laborers in this new branch of the construction industry and could lead to a competency-based apprenticeship program.
training program that opens up new job opportunities.
Previously, there were limited skills standards and no certification requirements for workers on DOE weatherization projects. We studied core competencies and the things workers need to know to do different jobs, then created a curriculum, skills standards and a three-level career path. Workers learn construction practices and techniques that help conserve resources, minimize pollution, and create sustainable buildings, keeping pace with construction industry trends and advancements. Already, two new LIUNA Locals dedicated to residential retrofit and weatherization have launched on the East Coast: Local 10 in New York City and Local 55 in New Jersey. LIUNA training centers in Seattle, Denver, Washington, New England and many other locations have also embraced the program.
When disaster struck the twin towers and the Pentagon on 9/11, we immediately responded by creating training programs for the disaster response support workers who cleared tons of rubble, cleaned up contaminated materials and worked to rebuild damaged infrastructure. Keeping these workers safe and providing protective equipment was our first priority. When anthrax threatened the lives of postal workers, government personnel, and NBC employees, we worked with OSHA to develop the first anthrax remediation training program. Without this training, the risk of cleaning contaminated buildings would have been prohibitive. Instead, cleanup progressed without illness or loss of life to any worker.
Our environmental remediation and worker safety training programs have helped build a workforce that is ready to respond to nearly any national or local disaster. For example, trained LIUNA members stepped up to the plate to recover the remains of the space shuttle Columbia, and safely performed cleanup and reconstruction after the 2005 Gulf Coast hurricanes destroyed so much of New Orleans and other coastal communities. Because of their training, LIUNA members know how to work safely in extremely hazardous situations when lives are on the line.
Quality training must make sure that workers can perform the skills they learn and retain the knowledge that will keep them safe. In short, training must prepare workers to do their jobs. LIUNA Training identifies skills standards for every job task included in its training programs and uses them to set training objectives. As part of training, participants demonstrate these skills and pass competency assessments. Where no skills standards exist, LIUNA Training researches the industry, works with experts, and establishes new standards that guide program development. These efforts move us toward national standards and certifications that may, in the future, set the bar for CCL worker qualification. LIUNA members know that their training meets the highest standards and gives them an edge in an increasingly competitive work environment.