Free City Training Available to 17,000 Construction Workers Cheated by Valor Consulting - SBS

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 15, 2024

FREE CITY TRAINING AVAILABLE TO 17,000 CONSTRUCTION WORKERS CHEATED BY VALOR CONSULTING

SBS, DOB Urge Workers to Sign Up for Training, New SST Cards through SBS's Workforce1 Program

NEW YORK – The NYC Department of Small Businesses Services (SBS) is urging the more than 17,000 active construction workers whose Site Safety Training (SST) cards were deactivated following the revocation of Valor Consulting's city-approved safety training course provider status to immediately apply to SBS's no-cost training program to receive new cards.

The NYC Department of Buildings (DOB) invalidated cards issued by Valor following an indictment filed in Manhattan Criminal Court against the firm's senior executives and employees for allegedly selling SST cards to workers without providing any of the required safety training. As of April 2, 2024, approximately 17,000 SST cards issued as a result of training certificates provided by Valor have been deactivated. Construction workers with these SST cards will no longer be allowed to work on the larger and more complex work sites in New York City until they are able to acquire a new SST card from a legitimate DOB-approved course provider.

"Too often, working New Yorkers suffer the consequences of corporate greed and fraud while those responsible get a slap on the wrist." said Deputy Mayor for Housing, Economic Development, and Workforce Maria Torres-Springer. "I want to thank Buildings Commissioner Jimmy Oddo and SBS Commissioner Kevin D. Kim for their swift action reaching out to the thousands of construction workers affected by Valor Consulting's scheme, as well as DA Alvin Bragg and his team for holding Valor Consulting responsible."

"SBS and our Workforce1 Career Centers are ready to help those honest New Yorkers who have been directly impacted by Valor Consulting's actions," said SBS Commissioner Kevin D. Kim. "We want to get everyone back to work as soon as possible through our free trainings. I want to thank our partners at DOB for their help as we work together to get our skyline growing again and urge everyone whose SST card was invalidated to reach out to SBS as soon as possible."

"The actions of Valor Consulting put profits ahead of safety, by allowing thousands of workers on to larger construction sites in our city without the required life-saving safety training," said DOB Commissioner Jimmy Oddo. "We could not in good conscience allow untrained workers on these complex work sites where they were posing a potential hazard to both themselves and the public. I am thankful for our partners at SBS providing this life-saving SST training to workers free of charge, and I strongly urge any workers who recently had their SST cards invalidated to reach out to sign up for courses as soon as possible."

Construction workers who participated in trainings proctored by Valor should fill out the SBS Construction Site Safety Training Program Interest Form as soon as possible.

SBS Workforce1 Training Available Now

The program prepares construction workers with the legally mandated 40 hours of safety training to work on any of the larger building construction projects that require a Construction Superintendent, Site Safety Coordinator, or Site Safety Manager to be on-site. Workers can meet the safety requirement by obtaining 30 hours of OSHA safety training, as well as 10 additional hours of more specialized SST training courses. New York City regulations allow construction workers to obtain a Temporary SST card from an approved provider after taking 10 hours of safety training. These temporary cards allow individuals to work on SST work sites for six months, during which time workers must take the additional 30 hours of training courses to obtain a full SST card which is good for five years.

The Construction Site Safety Training Program is operated through SBS Workforce1 Career Centers in each of the five boroughs, and the program is offered in English, Spanish, Russian, Polish, Cantonese, and Mandarin. Participating SBS Workforce1 Career Centers are:

Bronx Workforce1 Career Center, 400 E. Fordham Road, 8th Floor, Bronx, NY 10458

Brooklyn Workforce1 Career Center, 9 Bond Street, 5th Floor, Brooklyn, NY 11201

Upper Manhattan Workforce1 Career Center, 215 W 125th Street, 6th Floor, New York, NY 10027

Queens Workforce1 Career Center, 168-25 Jamaica Avenue, 2nd Floor, Jamaica, NY 11432

Staten Island Workforce1 Career Center, 120 Stuyvesant Place, 3rd Floor, Staten Island, NY 10301

SBS has been authorized to provide these trainings since 2019. The program was developed to ensure equal access to site safety training in compliance with Local Law 196 (LL196), which mandates workers on job sites that require a Site Safety Plan to possess an SST card, demonstrating completion of 40 hours of safety training.

Additional information about the city's SST program and requirements for workers on the city's larger and more complex construction sites can be found on DOB's website.

Affected SST cardholders and those interested in starting a career in construction trades can also call 311 or visit the SBS website for more information.

About the NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS)
SBS helps unlock economic potential and create economic security for all New Yorkers by connecting New Yorkers to good jobs, creating stronger businesses, and building vibrant neighborhoods across the five boroughs. For more information on all SBS services, go to nyc.gov/sbs, call 311, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.