BROWNSVILLE, Texas – Businesses are going to have to adapt to new ways of serving customers because those patrons are going to be more safety conscious.
This is the view of Joseph Fleishman, associate vice president of instruction-workforce development at Texas Southmost College.
Fleishman gave his views during the rollout of a a short-term COVID-19 disinfection specialist training program TSC is offering in collaboration with the Alliance Safety Council and Workforce Solutions Cameron.
“We’re in a different world now,” Fleishman said. “Businesses will have to adapt to new ways of serving customers and a new type of customer who is now more safety conscious. Through this training, TSC is providing the knowledge and skills businesses need to move forward.”
The COVID-19 Disinfection Specialist Training program is being available to small businesses throughout Cameron and Willacy counties help with their safe reopening.
TSC President Jesus Roberto Rodriguez said the program focuses on fostering a safe working environment for employees reporting back to work and a safe environment for customers.
“These are challenging times and TSC has created a training program to help businesses, particularly small businesses, re-open and prosper,” said TSC President Jesus Roberto Rodriguez. “This is an important way of promoting and establishing safety plans and procedures for each company, their employees and customers.”
Rodriguez said the class is set to begin on May 25. The course will cover appropriate methods to protect employees during cleaning, disinfection, and general operations; how to properly use personal protective equipment (PPE); how to prepare a cleaning and disinfection action plan; how to execute specific cleaning and disinfection techniques; and how to document completion of cleaning and disinfection processes.
Fleishman said the course is intended to provide those individuals who work for restaurants, retail stores, childcare facilities, airports, banks and other small businesses with the most up to date disinfection training so they can remain as safe as possible during these challenging times.
The eight-hour online program costs $249 per student and will be offered in English and Spanish. Employers enrolling workers in the course will be responsible for providing all PPE and disinfection supplies.
The training is made possible by TSC, Workforce Solutions Cameron, the City of Brownsville and the Alliance Safety Council.
“I congratulate TSC for stepping up to provide a training class for our business employers who are faced with a new challenge of keeping their operations disinfected and safe for customers so that they can open for business amid this COVID-19 threat,” said Workforce Solutions Cameron Executive Director Pat Hobbs.
Hobbs said WSC has a limited number of scholarships available to Cameron County businesses, which will be awarded on a first-come, first-serve basis for up to three employees per company.
Rodriguez said that upon successful completion of the program, employees will receive a TSC certificate suitable for public display at their place of employment. The business will also receive a decal to reassure clients that their workers have been properly trained to ensure the safety of employees and customers alike.
Rodriguez said TSC has been working closely with the City of Brownsville and other Brownsville organizations to kick off the training.
“Now more than ever, it is essential to support our small businesses,” said Brownsville Mayor Trey Mendez. “Texas Southmost College along with our partners, have developed a program that will do just that. This training will provide our local businesses with the knowledge and tools to open safely and with the health of our community in mind.”
Partners in the effort are Valley Baptist Medical Center-Brownsville, the Greater Brownsville Incentives Corporation, the Brownsville Chamber of Commerce, Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation, and the Texas Workforce Commission.
To pre-register your employees for this training, your company representative should complete the training form at www.tsc.edu. For more information on this program, contact the TSC Workforce Training and Continuing Education department at 956-295-3724 or [email protected]
Editor’s Note: Workforce Solutions Cameron Executive Director Pat Hobbs recently participated in a Zoom conversation about the programs his organization is offering during the Coronavirus pandemic. Click here to watch the video.
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