The Community and College Consortium for Health and Safety Training (CCCHST), sponsored by the Hazardous Materials Training and Research Institute (HMTRI) applies for 2 million dollars EPA- HWWT annual support to make NIEHS-approved worker training nationally available through 200 partners offering hazardous materials instruction (Hazwoper and related 29CFR 1910.120 training) in all fifty states of the nation through a Train-the- Trainer model program. CCCHST instructors, prepared by HMTRI, will annually train 20,000 workers, technicians, and supervisors to protect themselves and their-communities from exposure to hazardous materials encountered during waste site clean-up, Brownfields redevelopment, in the transportation of hazardous materials, and in the response to spills and releases of hazardous materials. CCCHST membership consists of community colleges partnered with business and industry, universities, and community-based organizations offering a consistent and quality response to the national training need for hazardous waste workers, emergency response personnel, and outreach to communities. HMTRI has received NIEHS funding since 1992 to provide management, instructor training and certification, curriculum, textbooks, instructional aids, quality control, evaluation, and promotion for members of the national consortium, in addition to HMTRI worker training, and most lately, the development of distance supported education. The number of CCCHST members, the number of courses delivered by members, and the number of students and workers taking courses have grown 1000 percent over the past seven years of NIEHS support-an indication of CCCHST success and an indication of the nation's continuing and growing demand for quality training. It is expected that CCCHST numbers will more than double over the next five years, particularly as advanced instructional technology allows for greater support of distance delivered training. All course curriculum will be converted for internet and electronic delivery. Curriculum will be continually updated and information disseminated to reflect new NIEHS research findings, particularly those supported by the Superfund Basic Research Program, thereby linking research scientists to education, communities and workers as supported by the Public Health Service's Healthy People 2000 goals and objectives. Over the five year period, 100,000 students will enroll in 5,000 courses providing 1 million contact hours of training delivered by 200 organizations and 300 instructors from all 50 states of the nation.
