The desire of the founding partners of ICCS Academy is to “impact a million lives through construction training and education”. These words mean nothing, without the vision to formulate a plan, that includes all Americans in the prosperous activities of this great nation. To include all Americans, the realization that every individual has unique strengths and weakness must also account for the barriers experienced by specific groups in our society. Accounting for these barriers goes beyond simple acknowledgement, it is the assessment and mitigation of the identified barriers as related to student or adult learner’s success. The first six months of the program apprentices participate in introductory on-site learning activities that allow for a gradual integration into work activities with input from the sponsoring organization. Program flexibility as to the sequence of learning objectives depend upon the experience of the apprentice and the needs of the partnering sponsor. This does not supersede an evaluation of skill attainment by ICCS staff prior to progressing to an intermediate or advanced skill. Employers and participants are provided with a rubric which clearly outlines the high expectations that attribute to quality work and advancement to become a competent program graduate. At the midpoint of the curriculum the completion of the OSHA 30-hour certification allows apprentices to increase skill attainment by ensuring employers of a consistent reiteration on safety is maintained throughout the duration of the program. Safety training progresses from OSHA 10-hour certification and culminates with the completion of the HAZWOPER 40-hour certification. The curriculum highlights a gradual increase in job responsibilities and training activities. Advanced level training focuses on finishing activities and close-out project procedures.
