In a world that increasingly values recycled materials, green construction, and a systematic of individual carbon footprints, there’s no shortage of job openings for environmental specialists who know exactly how to find the perfect mix between eco-friendliness and utility across a wide range of products. That’s exactly what the environmental and safety specialist does: With years of training, they’re able to analyze chemicals, building materials, and even electronic devices, identifying materials that are either hazardous or beneficial to the environment.
Working within both large corporations and the public sector, professionals in this field use their analysis of materials and byproducts to recommend changes in manufacturing and material composition. Generally, the goal is to create the most eco-friendly product available while ensuring it’s still safe, affordable, and durable enough to stand the test of time. It’s a big responsibility, and one that’s increasingly in high demand across all parts of the economy.
Educational Requirements: A Look at How to Get Started in the Field
The environmental and safety specialist occupation itself is rather new, having only come to prominence within the last 10 to 15 years. Because of just how recent this profession is, the exact requirements for each job tend to vary at least a little bit. Universal among virtually every entry-level opening in the field, however, is the requirement that candidates have a bachelor’s degree. Generally, this degree needs to be in either a scientific pursuit, occupational safety studies, or a course of study concerning conservation, the environment, or sustainable ecosystems.
Qualified candidates can typically enter the profession without having extensive prior experience, with plenty of entry-level jobs that will both train new entrants to the field and build on prior experience gained through co-op opportunities and internships.
Required Skills: What Successful Candidates Need to Know
Typically, the most important set of skills within this profession arise from a sound understanding of scientific and environmental concepts, especially those related to biodegradable materials, renewable resources, and dangerous pollutants. Successful candidates who are interested in pursuing a career more closely aligned with safety need to have a strong background in skills relating to industrial design, product fault testing, occupational safety, and consumer safety.
In addition to these more technical skills, those looking for a long-term career in environmental health or public safety should also bring a fondness for social interaction to the job. Many times, professionals in this field act as coordinating forces between the people who test, develop, and eventually use products in the real world. Successfully navigating numerous different goals and approaches is often a key way to find greater success and advancement in the field.
Post-Baccalaureate Education is Also Available
For those who wish to advance a bit more quickly through the ranks within an environmental health or safety-related occupation, numerous schools have begun developing graduate-level studies in both fields for interested candidates. These programs typically focus either on managing entire teams of product developers, or on a deeper understanding of how products can be made more environmentally safe for industrial, commercial, or residential use.
A New Way to Leverage the “Green Collar” Economy
With no shortage of both educational and occupational opportunities in this field, it’s one that at least merits quite a bit of consideration from today’s students and eco-minded professionals, both for entry-level positions and for more advanced work in environmental, conservation, and workplace safety professions.