IEMA’s head of training and development, Emma Bellingham, tells Transform more about the environmental management courses on offer, what they entail, and who should apply
How new are these courses?
The Certificate in Environmental Management is a brand-new course, and the foundation certificate was launched in January this year. After having a number of people go through the foundation course, we listened to their feedback, reviewed and refreshed the content, and believe it is now ready for market and at the right level.
Who should apply?
There are a variety of different people who could go on the foundation course. It is aimed at people who are interested in sustainability and environmental management. They might have been given some responsibility in that area, but are just starting out; it is their first step. The certificate would suit people who have been working in their field for a few years and are in operational roles. It involves looking at case studies and seeing how people can really apply their knowledge in the workplace.
How did you design them?
All our courses are built on our skills map framework. We have spoken to employers and universities to build it, so we know everything that goes on the course is what employers want, and we are covering the breadth of the environmental and sustainability agenda.
What will having one of these qualifications tell employers?
With the foundation certificate, employers will know the candidate has good basic knowledge and skills of environment management systems. The Certificate in Environmental Management guarantees excellent, in-depth knowledge of environment management systems. The candidate will have been assessed on how to apply that, so will have practical knowledge as well.
How are the courses delivered?
We have a number of different providers – some offer online e-learning; some deliver it face-to-face; and some a combination. It is very flexible. We have training partners all over the UK that can deliver face-to-face. But with the Certificate in Environmental Management, we encourage learners to take a blended approach, doing some online, as three weeks is obviously quite a long time to be sat in a classroom. Learners can also choose to spread the course over a six-to-nine-month period, doing one module every three months.
Are the courses only for people in the UK?
These are global qualifications, and we have had some international candidates who have successfully completed the courses and exam – delivery can be via e-learning or face-to-face if they want it. We have also recently sent our foundation course to be reviewed in the Middle East, so we can get more feedback from an international stance and perspective.
Find out more at iema.net/training
