Judi Johnson, ESL instructor with South Seattle Community College (left), assists Besrat Giday (right) with security test badge preparation. Giday recently received SIDA & AOA preparation, passed both tests and was hired by AirServ as a Cabin Cleaning Agent.

A new security test preparation program developed by Airport Jobs boasts a 93% success rate in preparing non-native English speakers for both the SIDA (Secure Identification Display Area) and AOA (Driving) tests. Employers have also found it to be an effective tool to pre-screen employees before hiring or promoting them.

"Certified ESL instructors from South Seattle Community College evaluate whether the applicant has sufficient English competency to complete the test - and by extension, come to work for the employer," says Ruth Westerbeck, Program Manager at Airport Jobs. She adds, "The security test preparation program is also a great tool for promotion, making sure people are ready to take the next step."

The experience of one employer, AirServ, has been typical. With Airport Jobs as their only source of candidates, AirServ opened interviews in July and was able to hire nearly 40 cabin cleaners and several lead positions to fulfill their new contract to provide aircraft cleaning services for United Airlines. The SIDA Test Preparation Course offered by Airport Jobs was crucial in getting a number of them ready to go to work.

Says Brian Ferguson, HR Manager for AirServ at Sea-Tac, “We referred six new hires who did not speak English as their first language to prepare them for SIDA testing. These individuals worked with the SSCC instructors for a relatively short time, and all six were then able to pass the SIDA test. This quick assistance made it possible to put all the individuals we hired to work.”

The test prep course provides lessons in vocabulary, basic computer use, test-taking tips, and the opportunity to practice generic testing on computers. Students meet with an instructor for an evaluation, and a lesson program is then developed to fit their individual needs. Judi Johnson, one of the instructors who helped develop the course, notes, “sometimes just an hour of tutoring can make the difference between passing or not passing the test.”

Once the course has been completed, participants receive a letter from the Airport Jobs office certifying that training has been completed. Some job seekers are choosing to take the preparation course prior to applying for work, then attaching their certification letter to their job application. Employers can be assured that candidates with this letter are well-prepared for security badge tests. 

“I encourage employers to contact me about referring newly hired employees for test preparation. It will speed the hiring and badging process and assure that language issues don’t prevent new hires from starting work. Community-building organizations can also arrange for their job-seekers to take the course in advance of applying for work."

Ruth can be contacted at the Airport Jobs office at 206-835-7506.