AQM Training Experience Outside China

1
AQM Training Experience Outside China

• Air Pollution Training Institute
• USEPA

2
Purposes of Discussions

• Introduce the Air Pollution Training Institute
• Describe training activities and available
  courses
• Discuss course development
• Describe training delivery structure
• Discuss audience and participants
• Describe incentives for training
• Discuss metrics of success

3
Air Pollution Training Institute (APTI)

• Provides technical air pollution training
• to state,
• tribal, and
• local air pollution professionals,
• although others may benefit from this training.

4
Air Pollution Training Institute (APTI)

• Goal
• to facilitate professional development by
  enhancing the skills necessary to understand and
  implement environmental programs and policies.

5
Air Pollution Training Institute (APTI)

• Curriculum is divided into subject areas
• Engineering
• Ambient monitoring
• Inspections
• Meteorology and modeling
• Air toxics
• Sampling and analysis
• Compliance Assurance
• Permitting
• Statistical Analysis
• Human Health
• Miscellaneous

6
Air Pollution Training Institute (APTI)

• Available delivery formats
• Classroom (25 courses)
• Satellite (topical, depends on need)
• Self-instruction, and web-based (29 courses)
• Course listings and descriptions can be viewed
  at http//www.epa.gov/air/oaqps/eog/course_forma
  t.html

7
Air Pollution Training Institute (APTI)

• Classroom courses are presented by recognized
  professionals, including consultants and
  university faculty.
• Courses are taught at these universities and
  other locations as indicated in the APTI
  consolidated classroom schedule. 

8
Air Pollution Training Institute (APTI)

• Training Centers
• California Polytechnic State University
• Rutgers Air Compliance Center
• Rutgers Air Pollution Training Program
• University of Cincinnati
• University of Illinois at Chicago
• University of Texas at Arlington

9
Training Providers

• California Air Resources Board
• CenSARA
• LADCO
• MARAMA
• Metro4/SESARM
• NESCAUM
• WESTAR

10
Air Pollution Training Institute (APTI)

• Annual calendar of APTI and other air pollution
  training courses available
• 2007 calendar can be viewed at
  http//www.epa.gov/air/oaqps/eog/catalog/ccs2.html
  

11
Air Pollution Training Institute (APTI)

• How many and what type of AQM training courses
  have been developed that are of relevance to AQM
  in China?
• Classroom courses (relevant with no or minor
  changes)
• Engineering 3 courses
• Ambient monitoring 4 courses
• Inspections 4 courses
• Meteorology and modeling 2 courses
• Air toxics 1 course
• Sampling and analysis 3 courses
• Compliance Assurance 1 course
• Miscellaneous 2 courses

12
Air Pollution Training Institute (APTI)

• How many and what type of AQM training courses
  have been developed that are of relevance to AQM
  in China?
• Self-Instruction courses (relevant with no or
  minor changes)
• Engineering 6 courses
• Ambient monitoring 2 courses
• Inspections 3 courses
• Meteorology and modeling 3 courses
• Air toxics 4 courses
• Sampling and analysis 3 courses
• Compliance Assurance 5 courses
• Statistical Analysis 2 courses
• Miscellaneous 3 courses
• Archived material 8 courses

13
Course development

• Who develops the courses?
• The courses are developed by EPA with Contractor
  support.
• Course development is centralized.
• APTI has a contract in place that provides course
  development and video production support.
• We also contract outside consultant expertise to
  write, and/or review course material being
  developed.
• EPA experts review materials before becoming
  finalized.

14
Course development

• How is course development financed?
• National training program is financed by the EPA
  and by State Agencies.
• State Agencies fund the classroom course delivery
  and a small portion goes to training development
  and adaptation (regional, state or local needs).
  
• EPAs funding is primarily for course
  development, training infrastructure maintenance,
  and all aspects of distance learning

15
Course development

• Are training needs assessments conducted prior to
  course development?
• A training needs assessment is conducted by the
  State and Local Agencies every two years
• Courses are developed following instructional
  design principles which incorporate a kind of
  course specific need assessment.

16
What is the training delivery institutional
structure?

• The training infrastructure consists of
• Registration Function primarily for classroom
  and satellite courses
• Material Storage, Reproduction and Dissemination
  for all courses
• Training Development Infrastructure
• product development and multimedia production
  contract that support all training delivery
  formats (distance and contact learning)

17
What is the training delivery institutional
structure?

• Distance learning
• Satellite - transmission, access to rented
  studios,
• Web - APTI website (on-demand applications),
• Web broadcasting (Webex live and on-demand
  sessions)
• Multimedia products - DVD/CD/Web/VHS stand alone
  products

18
What is the training delivery institutional
structure?

• Contact learning (classroom training)
• Hosted at universities and on-site at state and
  local agencies.
• Universities California Polytechnic State
  University, Rutgers Air Compliance Center,
  Rutgers Air Pollution Training Program,
  University of Cincinnati, University of Illinois
  at Chicago, University of Texas at Arlington,
  University of Tennessee
• Non-universities - CARB, CenSARA, LADCO,
  MARAMA, Metro4/SESARM, NESCAUM, WESTAR
• Joint Training Committee administers the training
  needs assessment

19
Contact learning

• Classroom training offered at selected
  universities in the United States and by
  Multi-jurisdictional organizations (MJO)
• The Universities and MJO have grants awarded by
  EPA to deliver the training.
• Pros and Cons
• Staff needs to travel to a specific location to
  take the course incurring in travel costs and
  days away from work.
• Staff benefits from sharing experiences and
  knowledge, face to face learning promote
  networking opportunities, and
• Staff can dedicate time to learn the information
  without interruptions.

20
Distance Learning (Satellite training)

• Offered at around 100 downlink sites located
  across the nation (universities, state and local
  agencies).
• Workshops, seminars, regulatory updates as well
  as technical training courses are offered in real
  time with opportunity for instructor/student
  interaction via telephone, e-mail or fax in
  questions.

21
Distance Learning (Satellite training)

• Provide an opportunity for bringing together the
  State, local and industry perspectives.
• (Television time is purchased and the events are
  transmitted via TV in a closed network)

22
Distance Learning (Satellite training)

• Pros
• Downlink sites are closer to work places
• reducing time away from office and travel cost
  (if any).
• Training can be recorded and offered at a later
  date for staff that couldnt attend the course
  and new staff.
• Delivery method ensures consistency
• the same information is delivered across the
  entire country at once.
• Cons
• Because of the close proximity to work, the staff
  is more subject to interruptions.
• Staff has fewer opportunities to network with
  peers and share knowledge and experiences.

23
Computer-based training

• Correspondence courses has been replaced with
  Internet available training.
• Correspondence courses now available on-line
  24/7
• A certificate of completion can be printed after
  completing and passing an on-line test.
• Example
• SI 431 Air Pollution Control Industry for
  Selected Industries
• http//yosemite.epa.gov/oaqps/eogtrain.nsf/Display
  View/SI_431_0-5?OpenDocument
• Special topic videos, CDs, and DVDs are available
  for downloading.
• Example
• Understanding Air Toxics Streaming Video
• http//www.epa.gov/air/oaqps/eog/broadcast.html

24
Computer-based training

• True on-line courses are also available
• include animations and reviews of concepts to
  enhance the learning experience.
• Examples
• Air Pollution Control Orientation Course
• http//www.epa.gov/air/oaqps/eog/course422/index.h
  tml
• Chain of Custody Procedures for Samples and Data
• http//www.epa.gov/air/oaqps/eog/coc/

25
Computer-based training

• Real time computer-based training
• This training is delivered live to the personal
  computer.
• Format is ideal for short workshops and seminars.
  
• For longer courses the material is divided into
  sections of 1- 2 hours long over a pre-determine
  period of time (1-4 weeks).
• Format allows recording for later use as a
  self-paced course.
• Format is used by Agency for specialized training
  sessions on software and tools usage
• Example
• Introduction to Environmental Statistics Course
  (http//www.epa.gov/apti/envirostats/Module4Edited
  .html)

26
Training delivery structure

• Describe the system for delivery of training
  structured or ad-hoc?
• Classroom and satellite training courses are
  selected taking into account the results of the
  needs assessment and also training needs
  identified throughout the year by State and local
  agencies and their MJOs.
• In addition to the scheduled training that is
  available on-line, the State and local agencies
  use their own funding to supplement the training
  available from APTI and bring on-site training
  providers to deliver training specific to their
  region or state. They also take advantage of
  other training available like CARB, AWMA and
  others.

27
Does training of trainers actually work?

• APTI requires trainers to have expertise in the
  environmental field to teach courses.
• Instructors/Consultants are involved in the
  development of the training minimizing any need
  to do train the trainer sessions.
• APTI courses include an instructor manual that
  provides information to the trainer that will
  enhance the teaching of the materials.
• The instructor manual is not a substitute for the
  field experience needed to teach the course.

28
Does training of trainers actually work for
international training support?

• EPA prefers the train-the-trainer approach.
• EPA does not have the staff nor the resources to
  offer on-going technical instructor support
  internationally.
• The train-the-trainer approach works as long as
  there is a commitment from the receiving
  organization to fund and support the training.
• It is imperative that
• the right person is selected to be a trainer and
• there are training plans and funding in place to
  adapt and deliver the training in-country.

29
Beneficiaries of the training or training
participants

• Who are the beneficiaries of the training?
• State, local and tribal agencies.
• Available seats are limited for Federal agencies,
  international students, industry and others.
• Internet training is available to anyone,
  anytime, anywhere

30
Beneficiaries of the training or training
participants

• Are different types of courses delivered
  depending on the type of beneficiary or training
  participants?
• Courses can be adapted to specific audiences and
  needs.

31
Incentives

• What incentives are in place to encourage people
  to undergo training (e.g., certification system,
  promotion requirements)?
• APTI offers certificates of completion upon
  meeting course requirements (attendance, test
  score, homework, etc.).
• Some States and local agencies have incorporated
  APTI training courses into their requirements for
  staff recognition and promotion.
• APTI does not offer certification programs.
• APTI courses are nationally and internationally
  recognized and accepted by several boards as
  training requirements to maintain engineering
  licenses and other certifications

32
Incentives

• What incentives are in place to motivate
  organizations to send their staff for training?
• For the regulators,
• State and local agencies are motivated to train
  their staff as funding for the States programs
  (highways, etc.) can be diminished if they do not
  meet the national standards set by the EPA.
• It is to the State and local agencies advantage
  to have staff that understands the air pollution
  control programs that the Agency develops and
  implements.
• For the regulated community,
• industry is motivated to understand the programs
  that they need to comply with to avoid sanctions
  and other penalties.

33
Budget

• Where does the budget for the course development,
  training delivery, and maintaining the training
  structure come from?
• The annual budget is approximately 2.5 Million.
  Approximately 25 goes to course development and
  75 to course delivery.
• How much is the annual budget and how does this
  translate into number of courses delivered and
  number of people trained per year?
• Statistics
• In 2004 APTI distance learning students totaled
  3126. The total cost per student per course is
  around 50.
• In 2005 APTI contact learning students totaled
  3193. The total cost per student classroom day
  for contact learning was 275

34
Sustainability of Training System

• How does the training system become sustainable?
• APTI is supported by the government (EPA, State
  and local agencies).
• A training system can become sustainable by
  combining resources and opportunities from
  different organizations.
• An approach will be to partner with Universities,
  technological institutions, and professional
  organizations for course development and
  delivery.
• This model provides the government highly reduced
  or subsidized training and some of the cost can
  be offset by industry and other training
  participants.

35
Measures of Success

• What are the measures of success that the
  training system keeps track of?
• Course attendance.
• Certificates issued.
• Days of training offered.
• Cost per student.
• Cost per student day.

36
Top dos and donts

• What are the top do's and don'ts in setting up an
  AQM training system in China
• Ensure that there is an organizational commitment
  to support a training program
• Training is not the solution to all problems. A
  needs assessment should be completed
• There needs to be a centralized location to keep
  course material files for future update.
• Government needs to oversee the development of
  materials to minimize opinions that will have
  policy implications and that create confusion.
• Design your training program taking into account
  the needs of the students and what the students
  need to learn.
• Use a blend of training formats
• Take into account who needs the material and the
  shelf life before investing in development