BROWNSVILLE, Texas (June 10, 2020) – In response to the current COVID-19 crisis, Texas Southmost College, in collaboration with the Alliance Safety Council and Workforce Solutions Cameron, have developed a short-term COVID-19 Disinfection Specialist Training program that is growing in popularity among local and national businesses and industry for a safe reopening.
Since the training’s inception on May 25, TSC has trained employees from more than a dozen local businesses, with many more preparing to take the training this month. One of those businesses enrolled is from the COVID-19 epicenter of New York.
The COVID-19 Disinfection Specialist Training program is being offered to any small businesses in the TSC service area, which includes Cameron and Willacy Counties, and focuses on fostering a safe working environment for employees reporsting 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.”
The class covers 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.
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 do just that. This training provides our local businesses with the knowledge and tools to open safely and with the health of our community in mind.”
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.
“We’re in a different world now,” said Joseph Fleishman, TSC Associate Vice President of Instruction – Workforce Training. “Businesses 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.”
Employers enrolling workers in the course are responsible for providing all PPE and disinfection supplies.
The eight-hour online program costs $249 per student and is offered in English and Spanish. Workforce Solutions Cameron has a limited number of scholarships available to Cameron County businesses, which are awarded on a first-come, first-serve basis for up to three employees per company.
“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.
Upon successful completion of the program, employees receive a TSC certificate suitable for public display at their place of employment. The business also receives a decal to reassure clients that their workers have been properly trained to ensure the safety of employees and customers alike.
This training is made possible by TSC, Workforce Solutions Cameron, the City of Brownsville and the Alliance Safety Council.
Partners in this 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 WTCE@tsc.edu.
About Texas Southmost College
Originally established in 1926, Texas Southmost College currently offers the first two years toward a bachelor’s degree, along with career and technical education leading to certificates and associate degrees, college preparatory studies to prepare students for college-level work, workforce training, and continuing education. TSC offers 50 programs of study leading to an associate degree or certificate.
