This year, the Portable Sanitation Association International is emphasizing projects that will increase benefits and equity for those portable restroom operators outside of the U.S., especially those that are already PSAI members. Projects include changes to the PSAI Scholarship Program and the Basic Service Technician Training Series.
The PSAI Scholarship Program was founded in 1997 and since then has awarded over $420,000 in scholarships to PSAI member employees and their families. These scholarships can go toward vocational, not just undergraduate programs, and both full- and part-time students can apply. However, until this year, the scholarships could only be applied toward educational institutions based in the U.S.
As of 2023, PSAI, with the support of Scholarship America, has changed the eligibility to allow scholarships to be applied to approved international educational institutions. This is especially exciting for PSAI member companies located in countries where post-secondary education is difficult to afford, and a PSAI scholarship could cover most, or even all their tuition. Applications for the PSAI Scholarship will open in fall of 2023.
PSAI is also improving international equity around industry-specific education. Of all the association’s education programs, the Basic Service Technician Training series is the most popular. This series covers best practices for servicing, maintaining, logistics, safety and more. It’s widely accepted in the U.S. for continuing education and as preparation for certification exams. That said, the course has many U.S.-specific references such as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and other U.S. regulatory bodies.
A few years ago, PSAI partnered with the Ontario Association of Sewage Industry Services to create a version of the BSTT specific to Ontario. Now, PSAI is working to create a new version of the BSTT void of any region-specific references, making it purely a course on best practices. The goal is to make a version of this widely accepted course that could be applied anywhere in the world. Stay tuned for updates this year on how PSAI will be working to make its education courses available on demand soon.
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