The Chartered Institute for Environmental Health (CIEH) has launched a new campaign called #ChooseEnvironmentalHealth calling for more people to consider this dynamic, varied and vital profession.
Data gathered by CIEH from accredited universities of environmental health courses across the UK shows that 88 per cent of graduates find employment or further study within six months of leaving university.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Environmental Health Practitioners (EHPs) have held a variety of roles, which were central to the country’s response to the crisis. The varied skillset of this profession is therefore now beginning to be recognised.
Jon Buttolph, Associate Director of Membership and Professional Development at CIEH said: “There have been shortages of qualified environmental health practitioners before the pandemic, but their essential role during the current pandemic has helped to bring the vital skills of these individuals to the fore.
“In the time of uncertainty for the future jobs market, it is a great career choice for young people considering their course of study and those thinking about a possible career change, due to the pandemic.”
Zena Lynch, Course Leader and Senior Lecturer in Environmental Health at the University of Birmingham said:
“We have seen increased interest in our environmental health courses in the last few years. This is based on an increased awareness of environmental concerns, people wanting to improve population health and well-being and also to be part of the drive towards a more sustainable way of living.
“Our profession has high employability and our MSc Environmental Health course has seen a very high number of graduates employed in good environmental health and related roles in recent years.”
Find out more about #ChooseEnvironmentalHealth by searching for the hashtag on Twitter. You can also find out more about the profession at a careers fair on 17 October. Clink here for more details.