By Carmen Pease
With a commitment to interactive learning, the Environmental Training and Research Center (ETRC) at Ohio University's Chillicothe Campus has revamped the concept of a typical classroom. Structured as a "co-op hybrid," ETRC provides students with the experience essential for a future in industry.
ETRC is a novel program that gives students the classroom and on-site training to familiarize them with industry's many needs. To apply this knowledge, students are linked with local industries to offer specialized services that help them respond to changing times and regulations.
"The one element that made us extremely attractive to industry was our dedication to incorporating hands-on activities and not simply providing 'talknology,'" said Michael Lafreniere, ETRC director. "Too often, other training doesn't deliver practice."
The training includes topics of worker health and safety, responding to hazardous materials, confined space training, environmental concerns and industrial hygiene services. With on-site outdoor facilities like obstacle courses, rappel towers, a confined space maze and a propane fire tree, the training is all encompassing.
ETRC maintains a curriculum that is up to date with the various regulations that govern industry. Depending on the student's academic program, a variety of regulatory topics are incorporated into the curriculum. Upon graduation, students are equipped with the skills necessary to be certified in a number of areas, which stretch from Hazard Communication (regulated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration) to Hazardous Waste Management (regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency).
"What is special about ETRC is that it is technology-based," said Carman Parker, an ETRC student. "I can get more hands-on experience here than I would in a traditional four-year program. I definitely like being able to see how a process works by doing it rather than by just seeing it."
Another student, Ryan Abernathy, agreed, "ETRC has opened doors for my future in the workplace."
Since its launch in 1998, ETRC has supported more than 30 students on projects and has provided services nationwide to states as far away as Florida. A benefit of this pairing is that while students gain experience, they also earn a stipend to offset their educational expenses.
"In all, we have gone from a program initially situated in the basement of one of our campus buildings to a million-dollar complex complete with classrooms, laboratories and outdoor training facilities," Lafreniere said. "The success of each project allows us to purchase the latest equipment and resources for subsequent projects."
As far as the future goes, Lafreniere said that he looks forward to watching the program grow and foster more service-learning opportunities. "I could see potential partnerships with a myriad of academic units that currently exist at our institution to take the program to the next logical level -- partnering it with a bachelor's degree."
For more information on ETRC at Ohio University Chillicothe Campus, visit their Web site at www.ohio.edu/chillicothe/etrc/ .
Carmen Pease is a student writer with University Communications and Marketing.
