UF Office of Professional and Workforce Development Celebrates Safety Yard Groundbreaking at the UF TREEO Center

On Tuesday, January 18, 2022, the University of Florida’s Office of Professional and Workforce Development (UF OPWD) celebrated the Groundbreaking Ceremony for the new Safety Yard being built at the University of Florida Training, Research and Education for Environmental Occupations (UF TREEO) Center.

The safety yard addition is possible through the collaboration with M.E. Rinker, Sr. School of Construction Management, Kiewit Construction, UF OPWD, UF College of Design, Construction, and Planning, Santa Fe College, and Charles Perry Partners, Inc (CPPI).

“The addition of the Safety Yard allows us to offer a safe and controlled hands-on training environment for students. This experiential learning reinforces what is taught in the classroom,” says Andrew Campbell, Director of the University of Florida’s Office of Professional and Workforce Development.

“We are excited for all the learning and research opportunities this collaborative effort will provide for our Rinker School faculty and students in addition to the students at Santa Fe College,” M.E. Rinker, Sr. School of Construction Management Director Robert Cox said. “And we are very grateful for the Rinker School alumni who spearheaded the efforts to bring the Safety Yard to life.”

The UF TREEO Center is the University’s environmental training center providing non-credit continuing education courses and certificate programs to those working in environmental professions.  The center currently offers courses in Asbestos, Backflow, Solid & Hazardous Waste, Water & Wastewater, and will soon be providing OSHA training as a recently announced Host Site for the OSHA Training Institute Education Center at Volunteer State Community College.