Dr. Alice Anderson Mr. Eric Ferrell East Carolina University Greenville, NC June 2, 2008

1. An Assessment of Qualities and Qualifications Needed by Environmental Health Graduates Entering Private Sector Jobs Dr. Alice Anderson Mr. Eric Ferrell East Carolina University Greenville, NC June 2, 2008

2. Introduction The purpose of this study was to identify the knowledge, skills and abilities currently required for entry-level employment in the Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS) private sector. Additional goals of this study were to identify characteristics experienced EHS practitioners feel are beneficial for continued practice in the EHS field.

3. Methods • Data for this study was collected by: • Job Description Analysis • 115 Entry-level job descriptions were surveyed from the EHS job-seeking site WWW.EHSCareers.com, from January to March 2008. • Employer Opinion Survey • The Job Description Analysis data was supplemented by personal opinion survey received from 98 EHS professionals (acceptance rate 28%). • The survey was developed using the online survey tool Zoomerang, personal opinions were elicited from experienced EHS practitioners. • Participants held the CIH or CSP certification, were active in the field and responsible for hiring entry-level employees • (Professionals were randomly selected from each state from the American Industrial Hygienist Association (AIHA) consultant’s listing).

4. Results: Job Description and Employer Opinion Surveys • Identified core competencies and entry level job skills required by private sector employers. • Job Description Employers preferred a science-based 4 year degree for entry-level employment. • Most desired concentrations were: Industrial Hygiene, Environmental Health and Occupational Safety. • Basic computer skills was a general area of competency in Job Description Analysis. • Chemistry was highest ranked required competency by the Employer Opinion Survey • Biology, basic computer skills and college algebra listed as useful by more than 50% of respondents in Employer Opinion Survey.

5. Characteristics needed for success: Job Description and Employer Survey • willingness to learn (95%), • problem solving (89%), • ability to interact with the client (90%), • ability to work independently (84%), • positive attitude (82%), • initiative (80%), • ability to work in a team (78%), • ability to multitask (70%), • decision making (67%), • breadth of knowledge (66%).

12. Conclusions: Current guidelines and Private Sector jobs • A solid foundation in math, science, and strong communication skills are needed by new private sector employees to understand technical material and explain that information to employees or the public. • Students planning to enter the private sector would benefit from concentrating in industrial hygiene and toxicology, while the courses that were ranked lower in this survey could be taken as electives. • Allowing flexibility in the curriculum enables students to understand core principles as well as expand their knowledge on a wide variety of environmental health topics, allowing students to expand their breadth of knowledge in the field. • The current foundation and Environmental Health programmatic area requirements of the National Environmental Health Science and Protection Accreditation Council (EHAC) undergraduate accreditation guidelines provide the basic framework that prepares students for practice in environmental health.

13. Conclusions • Results of this research are beneficial to public health and occupational safety students, since many of their job responsibilities in the private sector overlap those of an environmental health practitioner, especially at the entry level. • Further surveys of private sector employees regarding the inclusion of more occupational safety electives such as occupational health, occupational safety, ergonomics, workers’ compensation and industrial safety courses may help curriculum developers in the future. Cooperation with private sector advisory committee members on these additions is advised.