AUBURN – The Maine Community College System board of trustees has granted approval to Central Maine Community College to offer a certificate program in construction safety and health beginning in the fall semester

The program will prepare students for employment as construction safety and health technicians with construction firms, insurance companies, government agencies and consulting firms.

On completion of the certificate, those students who also have the required experience may sit for the construction health and safety technician certification examination.

The construction safety and health certificate is a 30-credit academic program. The credits are applicable to the college’s associate in applied science in occupational health and safety degree program, which is one of only two such programs accredited by the Applied Science Accreditation Commission of ABET Inc. Credits from Central Maine Community College are also transferable to most two- and four-year colleges and universities.

The construction safety and health program will be the only one in New England. The program will also be available over the Internet – the only such on-line program in the country.

“Construction health and safety technicians are becoming more important in the construction industry,” said Thomas Ryan, who chairs CM’s Occupational Health and Safety Department, which will deliver the new construction program.

“This has been attributed to increased worker’s compensation costs and demand for services as well as increasingly complex regulations in this country. In addition, many large owners of industry are requiring subcontractors to have safety and health personnel on their sites,” he said.

Patricia Vampatella, dean of academic affairs at the college, said, “Our occupational health and safety program has been recognized nationally as meeting the needs of both workers and employers to provide a safe and healthy workplace. The construction industry in Maine anticipates significant growth in the next decade so it makes perfect sense for the department to launch this specialized certificate.”

Interested students can begin work on the certificate during the summer session. To learn more, contact Ryan at tryan@cmcc.edu or the admissions office at 755-5273 or (800) 891-2002 or visit the college open house from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, April 1.