National Safety Education Center

What National Safety Education Center does

The National Safety Education Center (NSEC) is a non-profit educational department of Northern Illinois University and one of 26 OSHA Training Institute Education Centers authorized by the U.S. Department of Labor to deliver occupational safety and health training. It operates in partnership with the Construction Safety Council and holds exclusive authorization as the only such center in Illinois, serving OSHA Region Chicago across six states (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin). The core offering is a catalog of more than 50 OSHA-authorized courses, including OSHA Standards courses (e.g., OSHA #510, #511), 10-hour and 30-hour hazard awareness courses for Construction, General Industry, and Maritime, Trainer courses (OSHA #500, #501, #5400) that authorize graduates to issue outreach cards, the multi-course Safety and Health Fundamentals Certificate program for public sector employees, custom on-site training, and free courses funded through the Susan Harwood Training Grant.

Delivery runs through three NIU campus locations (DeKalb, Rockford, Naperville), eight host-partner sites operated by technical colleges and safety councils, customer-site custom programs, and live virtual instructor-led video conferencing. Revenue is generated entirely through transactional course registration fees ranging from $200 for one-day courses to $950 for four-day trainer courses, plus a $95 Safety and Health Fundamentals Certificate application fee and $10-$30 per-card processing fees. Pricing follows a pay-as-you-go model with early-bird discounts applied 60 days before course start. Customer segments include public sector employees, safety professionals and EHS coordinators, construction/general industry/maritime workers and supervisors, and small businesses eligible for free training under the Susan Harwood Grant.

Name

National Safety Education Center

Legal name

National Safety Education Center

Website

https://nsec.niu.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1895

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

NSEC is Northern Illinois University's OSHA Training Institute Education Center, the only one authorized in Illinois and one of 26 nationwide. It delivers OSHA-authorized occupational safety training across six Midwestern states via 50+ courses and partner host sites.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Occupational Safety Training

NAICS

Technical and Trade Schools (6115), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDABAEAA

General Occupational Safety & OSHA Compliance

Education/Corporate Training & Professional Development/Workplace Safety (EHS) Training

SECONDARYEDAOAMAK

Occupational Safety, OSHA & Workplace Compliance Training

Education/Vocational, Technical & Trade Education/Protective Services & Public Safety Training

SECONDARYEDAAANAJ

Safety, Compliance & Regulatory (OSHA/HSE/GxP) Certifications

Education/Adult & Continuing Education/Professional Certification Programs

SECONDARYEDABAOAI

Safety, Security & Facilities Onboarding (EHS, Physical Security)

Education/Corporate Training & Professional Development/Onboarding and New Hire Training

Keywords

• OSHA safety training
• Occupational safety courses
• Workplace safety education
• OSHA outreach training
• Construction safety training

Headquarters

HQ city

Rockford

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices11 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. OSHA Course Registration Fees: NSEC generates revenue through course registration fees ranging from $250 to $950 per course, with early bird discounts available 60 days prior to course start. Fees cover instruction, course materials, lunch, and refreshments.
2. Safety and Health Fundamentals Certificate Application Fee: An application processing fee of $95 is charged at time of application for the Safety and Health Fundamentals Certificate program in Construction, General Industry, or Maritime tracks.
3. OSHA Card Processing Fees: Processing fees for new 10-hour and 30-hour OSHA outreach training cards ($10/card) and replacement cards ($30/card) for trainers and students.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The National Safety Education Center (NSEC) delivers OSHA-authorized occupational safety and health training courses, including OSHA Standards courses (OSHA #510, #511), Trainer courses (OSHA #500, #501, #5400), 10-hour and 30-hour Hazard Awareness courses for Construction, General Industry, and Maritime sectors, the Safety and Health Fundamentals Certificate program, custom on-site training, and virtual instructor-led courses. NSEC is the only OSHA Training Institute Education Center in Illinois and serves OSHA Region Chicago covering Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin.

Product overview

National Safety Education Center is an OSHA Training Institute Education Center operated by Northern Illinois University in partnership with the Construction Safety Council. It provides a comprehensive portfolio of occupational safety and health training programs including OSHA Standards courses (OSHA #510, #511, #521, etc.), 10-Hour and 30-Hour Hazard Awareness Courses for Construction, General Industry, and Maritime industries, Trainer courses (OSHA #500, #501, #5400) that authorize professionals to teach outreach courses, the Safety and Health Fundamentals Certificate program for public sector employees, Custom/On-Site Training delivered at client facilities, Free Courses through the Susan Harwood Training Grant, and Virtual/Online interactive video conference courses. The center serves OSHA Region Chicago (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin) and is the only authorized OSHA Training Institute Education Center in Illinois.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• OSHA #500 - Trainer Course in Occupational Safety and Health Standards for Construction Industry Trainer course that authorizes safety professionals to teach 10- and 30-hour construction safety and health Outreach Training Program; graduates can become OSHA Outreach trainers and issue participant cards.
• OSHA #501 - Trainer Course in Occupational Safety and Health Standards for General Industry Trainer course that authorizes safety professionals to teach 10- and 30-hour general industry safety and health Outreach Training Program; graduates can become OSHA Outreach trainers and issue participant cards.
• OSHA #510 - Occupational Safety and Health Standards for the Construction Industry Covers OSHA Standards, policies, and procedures in the construction industry with emphasis on the most hazardous areas; prerequisite for OSHA #500 trainer course.
• OSHA #511 - Occupational Safety and Health Standards for General Industry Covers OSHA Standards, policies, and procedures in general industry with emphasis on the most hazardous areas; prerequisite for OSHA #501 trainer course.
• 10-Hour OSHA Outreach Courses Entry-level hazard awareness training on recognizing and preventing workplace hazards, available for Construction, General Industry, and Maritime sectors.
• 30-Hour OSHA Outreach Courses Extensive safety and health training for supervisors and those with safety responsibilities, covering greater depth and variety of topics; available for Construction, General Industry, and Maritime.
• Safety and Health Fundamentals Certificate (SHF Certificate) Certificate program supporting OSHA's mission by training public sector employees in occupational safety and health; available in Construction, General Industry, and Maritime tracks; requires minimum of 7 courses with 68-77 contact hours.
• Custom/On-Site Training Tailored hands-on safety training delivered at client facilities with flexible scheduling, using customer's own equipment; covers topics including fall protection, lockout/tagout, PPE, confined space, and crane safety.
• Susan Harwood Training Grant Program (Free Courses) Free OSHA training funded by the Susan Harwood Training Grant targeting small businesses (250 or fewer employees) and at-risk/hard-to-reach workers; covers fire safety, lockout/tagout, PPE, confined space entry, warehouse and forklift safety, and machine guarding.
• OSHA Virtual Courses (Fully Interactive Video Conferencing) Live video conferencing OSHA courses conducted via webcam and internet allowing participants to take OSHA courses from home or office; available to residents of OSHA Region Chicago states.

Quantifiable outcome

• Training available across 6 states (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Northern Illinois UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNSEC is housed within Northern Illinois University (NIU), with main offices located at NIU facilities. NIU provides institutional support, administrative infrastructure, and regional campus locations (DeKalb, Rockford, Naperville) for NSEC training operations.
• Construction Safety CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe partnership between Northern Illinois University and the Construction Safety Council (buildsafe.org) enables NSEC to deliver construction industry safety training. The Construction Safety Council serves as the primary host for 10-hour and 30-hour construction courses and Outreach Trainer programs.
• Richland Community CollegeminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHost training location in Decatur, Illinois serving central Illinois region with NSEC OSHA courses.
• Illinois Eastern Community CollegeminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHost training location in Olney, Illinois serving southern Illinois region with NSEC OSHA courses.
• Minnesota Safety CouncilminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHost training location in St. Paul, Minnesota serving the Minnesota region with NSEC OSHA courses.
• Construction Employers AssociationminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHost training location in Cleveland, Ohio serving the Ohio region with NSEC OSHA courses. CEA also partners with Construction Safety Council of Northeast Ohio.
• Chippewa Valley Technical CollegeminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHost training location in Eau Claire, Wisconsin serving western Wisconsin with NSEC OSHA courses.
• Northeast Wisconsin Technical CollegeminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHost training location in Green Bay, Wisconsin serving northeastern Wisconsin with NSEC OSHA courses.
• Nicolet Area Technical CollegeminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHost training location in Rhinelander, Wisconsin serving northern Wisconsin with NSEC OSHA courses.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• National Safety Council: National Safety Council is a large established nonprofit safety organization offering a broad portfolio of workplace safety training, certifications, and resources. Overlaps with NSEC on foundational safety training but operates nationally and across many safety domains beyond OSHA compliance.
• 360training: 360training is an established online provider of regulatory and compliance training, including OSHA 10/30-hour and other workplace safety courses. Competes with NSEC on price and convenience through a fully digital delivery model.
• ClickSafety: ClickSafety (part of Ascend Learning) provides online OSHA construction, general industry, and environmental training. Comparable to NSEC on the underlying OSHA curriculum but delivered entirely on-demand at lower price points.
• American Safety Council: American Safety Council provides online OSHA-aligned safety training and certification across multiple states at scale. Competes with NSEC on the same OSHA 10/30-hour and related content but via a digital-first, lower-cost delivery model.

Emerging players

• OSHA.com: OSHA.com (CareerSafe) offers online OSHA 10-hour and 30-hour outreach training with a focus on price-sensitive and self-paced learners. Directly competes with NSEC's 10/30-hour Outreach cards through a low-cost digital format.

Direct peers

• Keene State College OSHA Training Institute Education Center: Keene State College's New Hampshire OTIEC is one of the 26 federally authorized centers delivering OSHA Standards and Outreach Trainer courses. Direct peer with the same authorized curriculum and trainer-certification model as NSEC, serving a different region.
• University of South Florida OSHA Training Institute Education Center: USF hosts one of the 26 OSHA Training Institute Education Centers, serving OSHA Region Atlanta and providing the same 10/30-hour, OSHA Standards, and Trainer Courses that NSEC provides. Directly comparable in scope, authorized offerings, and target customers within a different OSHA region.
• University of Texas at Arlington OSHA Training Institute Education Center: UTA's OTIEC delivers OSHA-authorized training across Region VI. Comparable to NSEC as a university-based, OSHA Training Institute Education Center offering the same 10/30-hour, Standards, and Trainer courses to a regional OSHA territory.
• Great Lakes OSHA Training Institute Education Center: One of the other federally authorized OTIECs serving adjacent OSHA regions and overlapping with NSEC's territory. Directly comparable on the same OSHA-authorized curriculum, trainer-certification model, and target customer segments.
• Georgia Tech OSHA Training Institute Education Center: Georgia Tech operates an OSHA Training Institute Education Center serving the Southeast through the Georgia Tech Research Institute. Direct peer delivering the same OSHA-authorized curriculum (OSHA #500, #501, #510, #511, etc.) to safety professionals and public sector employees.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/nsec_osha
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@nationalsafetyeducationcen4715
• Facebookfacebook.com/NSECOSHA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nsec_osha

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about National Safety Education Center