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EPA and Silver Valley Salute First Superfund Job Training Initiative Graduating Class in Kellogg, June 5, 2012

Release Date: 06/05/2012
Contact Information: Mark MacIntyre (206)553-7302, macintyre.mark@epa.gov

(Seattle – June 1, 2012) Brimming with pride and anticipation, nineteen graduates of EPA’s Superfund Job Training Initiative (SuperJTI) will take a bow on Tuesday, June 5, in Kellogg, Idaho. The private ceremony marks the completion of the first SuperJTI program class in the Silver Valley.

SuperJTI provides trainees from a wide range of economic backgrounds with certificates needed to work on cleanup projects related to the Bunker Hill Superfund Site. Graduates are better equipped and more competitive in their search for sustainable, career-focused employment opportunities once they have completed the program.

“We offer Superfund JTI training to give local residents a ‘leg-up’ when it comes to area cleanup jobs,” said Dan Opalski, Director of EPA’s Environmental Cleanup office in Seattle. “But the life and job skills graduates receive through this program make them attractive candidates wherever cleanup work is being performed. This training will help prepare and develop the Basin’s workforce for the future.”

In April and May 2012 a robust recruitment effort sought eligible area residents. After a series of orientation and tryout sessions, candidates moved through the program’s screening process. Candidates attended tryouts to:

• Sharpen their leadership and team building skills through role playing activities;
• Develop increased strength and endurance through basic physical fitness sessions;
• Test their endurance and demonstrate newly-learned skills through observation and evaluation by evaluators representing many project partners