Florence Schmidt was studying to become a respiratory therapist when a car accident interrupted her plans. After taking time off to heal, Schmidt started a new job at Amazon. Working in the warehouse, Schmidt scanned boxes and packed orders.
After working at Amazon a few months, Schmidt’s manager asked if there were any volunteers willing to take part in the Safety Committee. The added responsibilities didn’t come with more pay, but Schmidt jumped at the chance to gain additional experience.
“Before I went to Amazon, I didn’t know anything about this field,” Schmidt said. Soon, Schmidt was helping employees making sure they didn’t get hurt lifting heavy boxes and pursuing an overall safe working environment.
This experience led her to research possible careers in the field of health and safety. That’s when Schmidt learned about the Occupational Safety and Health Technology program at GateWay Community College.
“She’s a unique student because she was in an allied health program,” said Michael Bryant, Occupational Safety and Health Technology program director. “Coming from healthcare, the particular skill sets in science and math help you do extremely well in this field”.
The Occupational Safety and Health field spans pretty much every industry, says Bryant.
“You’ll find occupational safety and health professionals in risk management positions,” he added. “They work with engineers to prevent hazards through good design. They work with management to put systems in place to help reduce risk from a multitude of hazards depending on the type of industry. Every day is different, we’re essentially problem solvers.”
The program is geared towards working adults. “We have students who are working in the profession and are using our Associate degree in Safety to get to the next level,” said Bryant. Classes are offered in an online and hybrid format, offering hands-on training and reducing the amount of time a student needs to commute to campus.
Although Schmidt ended up following a career path different than what she intended, she’s setting the course for the rest of her career. Schmidt plans to earn a bachelor’s and possibly a master’s degree, but her next step is to gain work experience by obtaining an internship. And this is exactly what Bryant has in mind for his students.
“Upon graduation, my goal is for students to leave with practical experience,” Bryant says.
For information about the Occupational Safety and Health Technology program, contact Program Director Michael Bryant at michael.bryant@gatewaycc.edu or (602) 286-8646.