Occupational Safety and Health Training Course: Session I

Mission of Love Charities’s motto is to empower, educate, and advocate for low-income individuals in our community. As part of its mission, it provides workforce development training to help people gain job-related skills, boost their employability, and gain economic stability. With this in mind, MOLC established its inaugural OSHA Training course which kicked off April 6, 2021. Five dedicated students learned about OSHA standards, policies, and procedures to work in general industry and the most hazardous positions.

Dwight Monroe, the Mission’s Warehouse Manager, earned his certification with OSHA through the course. He showed me his card during our interview. It announces that he passed the 10-Hour General Industry Safety & Health training – a certification that never expires.

The course had a low barrier to enrollment by requesting that each person had a GED. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the course took place online. Yet, the instructor and students remained undeterred. Dwight explained the teacher, Sheldon Primus, heavily engaged the participants. Sheldon showed the program content on his screen and hosted a chat forum with the students. He ensured the students participated and understood the material. For example, he might have asked them, “So Dwight, what are your thoughts on this safety procedure?”

As a participant, Dwight brought eight years of related work experience into the course. Yet, he still found the class helpful. Moreover, he rated the training 100% relevant to his current role as a Warehouse Manager. With this certification under his belt, he feels motivated to go for a higher level – the OSHA 30-Hour.

What did he think of the course? “I thought it was great,” he said, and it improved his career skills by adding a certification. He recommended the course and encouraged others to enroll, saying, “I wish that more people like [the Mission’s] clients had done the class.” With this positive review, the Mission will continue to sharpen the community members’ professional skills through its workforce development programs.