Founder, Stewart Education Services

These are exciting times at SES. We have new courses, new equipment and expanded opportunities. For years, we provided training services on office computer applications to the business community. We have helped many companies develop educational programs designed to enhance the effectiveness of their training programs. Now with the acquisition of a new computer system along with editing equipment, we offer support for the development of training videos and DVDs. Our language experts are working on many projects.

After 2-years of development, we now provide courses on the hazards of lead and mold in residential real estate. We believe our courses uniquely meet the needs of property owners, managers, and workers.

Frustrations with Lead Hazard Courses

I believe it is important for potential clients of SES to learn how the Lead Hazard Course developed. It shows our commitment to educational excellence.

I have been in residential real estate management for more than 10 years. I have attended a number of lead-based paint seminars. Unfortunately, most of the training was poor. The instructors lectured at us for 7 hours (in violation of HUD’s requirements of “hands-on” pedagogy), distributed out-dated manuals that HUD no longer uses (containing many pages with such poor reproduction that it was impossible to read), and instructors who fumbled with equipment and did not engage students. With the exception of the excellent LOHP, Lead-Safe Schools Projects, we were not taken through a compliance plan. Even after all this, no one at my management company knew how to implement the regulations. What a waste of time and money.

None of the courses supplied everything I needed to comply with lead regulations as applied to residential property. Courses focusing on HUD requirements failed to address EPA, Cal/OSHA and waste disposal regulations; and vice versa. And none took me through a compliance plan that I could use in real estate.

Creating Our Lead Hazard Course

Thus, I realized that I had to create my own program to address ALL lead hazard laws applicable to residential real estate. I researched the problem for 6 months by contacting government agencies, downloading every document on the web, and much more. Ultimately, it took another 9 months to write a manual that is more than 400 pages long along with developing curricula based on effective education pedagogy (my PhD focus). All materials were reviewed and approved by a registered industrial hygienist and comply with all HUD, EPA, and Cal/OSHA regulations.

I was also aware that workers need a different course from that taught to owners, managers, and supervisors. The courses I created cover much of the same material (as required by HUD), but the emphasis is different. The owner, manager, and supervisor course discuss more law issues and procedures for implementing them into the business. The worker course is more hands-on, with much time devoted to practicing “lead-safe” work practices. Furthermore, the worker classes have been translated into other languages (at a cost of more than $40,000).

SES Lead Hazard Course Advantage

Our courses achieve the following:
• Manual in larger font size for reading ease
• Every document in the manual is clear and readable
• Many of the documents are downloadable from our website (at no additional cost) in editable form so you can incorporate them into your business procedures.
• Training is “hands-on” for 25% of the time.
• A comprehensive Compliance Plan with forms that can be integrated into your business practices.
• All materials, including the hour-long video, are translated into other languages and taught in those languages by knowledgeable and skilled instructors.
• Certification from California Department of Real Estate to offer Continuing Education Units (CEU).
• Each student receives a HUD Lead Safe Work Practices “Notice of Completion”

Best Training Available

I hope this background clarifies why I believe our Lead Hazard courses are uniquely focused on the needs of the residential real estate industry, and why you cannot find a better training provider. You will leave knowing how to implement a compliance plan that integrates ALL lead hazard regulations into one program. Workers will leave with the skill to conform to lead-safe work practices and taught in multiple languages. We use this thorough approach in every course we create, including our recent addition on Mold Hazards.

Low Cost Training

Excellent training is cost-effective. Excellent training gives you what you need in a form that is immediately useable. Our Lead Hazard Course is a prime example of this approach. Because our course is comprehensive, students do not need to take three different lead courses— HUD, Cal/OSHA, and EPA— as you had to do before. This saves you time, money, and confusion. •

In December 2002, SES obtained state certification for our Lead Hazards and Mold Hazards courses by the California Department of Real Estate and can offer Continuing Education Units (CEU). We are the only training provider to have received this state certification on these topics.

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September 2003