UFred to offer free OHS course to those impacted by oil and gas downturn

The University of Fredericton is pleased to announce that it will be offering the first course in its online Certificate in Health, Safety, and Environmental Processes (CHSEP) program for free to those who have been negatively impacted by the downturn in the oil and gas industry.

“Over the past year, we’ve been consistently hearing that there are professionals in oil and gas who would like to continue their education, but do not have the financial means,” said University of Fredericton president, Don Roy. “Health and safety is of utmost importance within this industry, making it imperative that educational opportunities are still available.”

The course available, CHSE 0300 Risk Assessment, is one of 12 courses within the program and is delivered completely online. Students have 10 weeks to complete the course but can do so on a self- paced schedule, completing content as they have time.
The course examines several basic risk assessment skills and tools that enable employees closest to risks to deal with them proactively. Learners will also discover how to apply these tools by becoming familiar with the process, needed resources and practical examples for each method of risk assessment.

“Our hope is that those who have been negatively impacted by the economic downturn are still able to enhance their skills so that they can be better prepared to create safer workplaces,” said Shawna-Raye Endresen, program manager for the CHSEP program “The course is a great introduction to the program, particularly for those who may be new to this particular field within the industry.”

The free course is made possible through a bursary fund established at UFred for this purpose, and applications are being accepted immediately. Those who wish to take advantage of the tuition relief bursary must submit a letter of intent indicating their interest in pursuing the program, and detail how they have been negatively impacted by the industry’s downturn by July 29. Students will be enrolled in the program the following Tuesday, and will have 10 weeks to complete the course.