Training For A Secure Future

Jul 1, 2003 12:00 PM

Arlene Sharpe is true to her name. In appearance, she wears a uniform that is neat and crisp. The badge says she means business. And she's just as sharp in her performance on the job as an unarmed security guard in the New York borough of Queens.

Sharpe is a graduate of Goodwill Industries of Greater New York and Northern New Jersey's Security Guard Training Program, one of the many Goodwill programs across the country that train people for positions as security guards.

In the wake of the events of Sept. 11, increases in the demand for workplace security services skyrocketed. And the top two U.S. security firms reportedly planned to hire a minimum of 10,000 to 15,000 new guards, according to The Los Angeles Times.

So, graduates of Goodwill security guard programs with keen observation skills like Sharpe are likely to find employers to hire them. In many cases, the training students receive is directly linked to the employers who are in need of security guards.

Goodwill Industries of Lane County, Eugene, Ore., conducts security training in conjunction with its subsidiary, Security Solutions, which provides unarmed security guards for construction sites, retailers, manufacturers and high-tech firms. The majority of the training takes place in an actual work setting, so students can apply the skills they have learned in class: observation, emergency response, reporting, asset protection, access control and first aid/CPR training.

The Goodwill also provides follow-up services with its graduates after they have been placed in new jobs. Eugene's Security Solutions has field supervisors who visit job sites several times each night, working with the on-duty security guards as needed.

Security Solutions Manager Dale Wiersma says that the Eugene training program has more than 80 graduates, and receives 15-20 applications and inquiries each week. To qualify for training, applicants must be over age 18, able to pass a criminal background investigation, able to walk and stand for long periods, able to follow verbal and written instructions, have a flexible work schedule and have good observation skills.

“Our reputation as a company has grown, and we have an increasing number of officers from other companies applying for jobs with us,” Wiersma says.

New York Goodwill offers security guard training programs at four locations in the metropolitan area, and graduates come away with the 8-hour certification that makes them eligible for hire by local security guard companies.

Sharpe was out of work when she enrolled in the program. But on the day she received her certification test score — a perfect 100 percent — her instructor mentioned a job opening at the Goodwill headquarters in Queens, and Sharpe beat out two other applicants for the job.

“I have a new appreciation for this work after Sept. 11,” Sharpe says. “I could have taken home health aide, customer service, telemarketing, or any number of certification courses. But just like the rest of the country, my thoughts about security have changed. I don't think I'm saving the world, but I enjoy the responsibility of keeping this office safe.”

Share your story…

Every month, we are offering information about managing guard services and leading in-house staff. Among other things, this page will offer an opportunity for readers to share the management lessons they have learned and to provide other helpful information to their peers in the industry.

To offer suggestions, or to contribute to this page, contact Jennifer Pero at 770-618-0135 or e-mail jpero@primediabusiness.com

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