IEMA has the solution to the skills challenge

In an interview published in June between Tim Balcon and editor of the environmentalist Paul Suff, the IEMA chief executive outlined how the increasing global need for environmental sustainability skills had led the Institute to establish a new a new training arm - IEMA Sustainability Training Solutions (STS).

During the interview Balcon said: “IEMA training providers already offer some fantastic learning opportunities but, as the profession changes and becomes more global, we need to provide a more comprehensive range of courses and have a bigger international reach.”

To help develop more courses and extend the reach of its training provision, IEMA STS, which is described as “one-stop shop for quality-assured training”, launched on 1 July.

“IEMA STS is designed to provide more courses, delivered by an increased number of trusted providers in more locations around the world,” says the Institute.

IEMA STS is committed to the highest standards of training and assurance and is dedicated to driving demand and meeting the supply of environmental sustainability skills. As part of that work, IEMA STS is working with the Institute’s stable of approved training providers and corporate members as well as with individual members, universities and public and private sector organisations worldwide to bridge the growing green skills gap.

Under the direction of Lynda Millar – who previously led Ford’s UK training academy – IEMA STS aims to provide a comprehensive “cradle-to-grave career pathway” solution to the supply of essential sustainability skills. “The size of the challenge around embedding sustainability skills into every business is huge, but IEMA STS is not only the catalyst to help organisations realise where they have a sustainability skills gap, it will deliver the right training that arms their organisation,” said Millar. “I believe that IEMA STS will practically and strategically enable individuals and businesses everywhere to have access to training that really makes a difference.”

As part of the launch, all of IEMA’s approved training providers have transferred to STS and the Institute’s portfolio of courses has been relaunched to operate under the new training brokerage provider.

The development of a series of new courses and training products – including a specially developed new course for environment and sustainability professionals with responsibilities to implement the revised ISO 14001 from next year (see panel, below) – is already well under way.

To find out more about IEMA STS and to view the complete range of courses, training providers and other learning opportunities, click here.