Your Career in Health and Safety for 2021

Get the Most from SHEilds e-Learning

Whether you’re interested in developing a Safety, Health or Environmental (SHE) career from scratch, or building upon existing training and qualifications, knowing where to begin in SHE and what to do next can seem frustrating.

With many different qualifications available providing different routes into the field of SHE, you would be forgiven for feeling lost. SHEilds Team are on hand to help you find a pathway that suits you and your goals. We pride ourselves on providing clear choices and professional guidance.

Your career in Health and Safety for 2021 is waiting to happen, do not waste any more time, here are the most common questions with straightforward answers to get the most from SHEilds e-Learning.

Which qualification level is right for you?

Assessing which qualification level is right for you is important. It is essential you choose a qualification that compliments your goals and aspirations, to ensure you maximise the benefit of your study.

Current and previous experience combined with existing qualifications and existing understanding of topics should all be factored in. As a starting point, consider the following alongside course syllabuses:

• Why do I need this qualification?
• What do I want to achieve from completing this qualification?
• What sector would I prefer to work in?
• What element of SHE interests me the most and why?
• Do I want a managerial position?
• Will gaining this qualification provide me with: Job security, promotion opportunity, more money, etc?

What career path do you plan on taking?

Start by considering your main goal and how much training you need to achieve it from where you are now. Depending upon your needs we can suggest a range of levels to suit your requirements ranging from, shorter course such as an IOSH Working Safely or a slightly larger qualifications such as the NEBOSH General Certificate, for those aiming higher there are larger degree level qualifications available such as NEBOSH Diplomas or NVQ Diplomas.

In your present situation what are your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats?

This will help you to highlight which training to prioritise and begin devising a career roadmap. Consider where you want to be in the next 12 months and where you will go from there in the next 3-5 years. In relation to this, try to split your development into sensible short term and long term goals.

What methods of learning work best for you?

Different courses offer different styles of learning and assessment. IOSH courses can be taken in a very short space of time with online multichoice exams, NEBOSH are academic online study and have open book exams (for the newer qualifications), while vocational NVQs are assessed through submission of evidence gathered in your existing role through an online portal.

How much time do you have available to study around work and personal commitments?

Bear in mind that high level courses are typically long-term undertakings, so consider whether you will be able to allocate the study time they need. For example; a Certificate Course will take anywhere between 14 weeks to a year, while a Diploma course will require at least 18 months to 2 years of dedication.

What previous training – if any – do you possess in Health, Safety or Environmental management?

Existing Prior Learning can be build upon, giving yourself a practical chance of success and avoiding a large skill gap which you may find overly challenging. Having ambitious goals isn’t necessarily bad, but avoid jumping multiple qualification levels at once; it may do more harm than good to your confidence.

If you are particularly interested in specific professional memberships, you can obtain additional assistance by looking at the membership schemes of IOSH (Institution of Occupational Safety & Health) and IIRSM (International Institute of Risk and Safety Management) as both professional organisations map their membership tables against preferred qualification achievements.

Is there experience you should have prior to commencing SHE e-Learning?

New SHE students frequently ask; “is there experience you should have prior to commencing SHE e-Learning?”

While there are no formal requirements, there are certain things which are recommended regardless. Basic experience and confidence in use of computers and online services is needed to make the most of SHEilds e-Learning and its features.

In addition, it will be of benefit choosing a qualification which reflects and builds upon your existing workplace experience and training in some way. If you only have a small amount of applicable experience, then starting with a lower level course will greatly increase your chances of success while large amounts or prior qualifications in the same area may justify specialist certificates, Diplomas or NVQs.

At what point does NEBOSH training require renewal?

If you are already NEBOSH qualified you may be wondering; at what point does NEBOSH training require renewal?

NEBOSH training does NOT require renewing once you have successfully completed all unit assessments of the qualification. However, in circumstances where students have not successfully completed all assessments units, the completed units will expire after 5 years from passing the examination, unless the remaining assessments are completed within this time.

Will my qualification become out of date when legislation changes?

If you have previous training in the field you may wonder; how relevant is professional knowledge that’s several years or more old, perhaps some new legislation has been released?

No matter when you took your health and safety training, previous professional knowledge remains important, however it is vital to understand that the Health, Safety and Environmental management regulations are updated regularly in line with new legislation. As such staying up to date with related developments following qualification is strongly advised, therefore we recommend you join a membership body in SHE who will keep you updated with these changes.

The building blocks of procedures and processes may not change much, but the information, legislation and reporting framework required to fill industry roles and be compliant may have been updated and changed. A professional membership with IOSH, IIRSM or IEMA may help in this regard, keeping you updated with industry information that is current and relevant.

Besides this, there are a wide variety of areas you might concentrate on and become an expert in, however no two business sectors are the same. Some skills may be transferable, but others may not as they are specific to the industry such as food manufacture or the Oil and Gas. Always keep in mind what areas of knowledge are broadly applicable and which require new training for different roles.

What is your best course of action following graduation?

What is your best course of action following successful completion of my qualification? While you might set exam success as your immediate goal, career development and planning shouldn’t end there.

An SHE qualification may substantially improve your prospects, but to make the most of it a proactive attitude is recommended. Following successful completion of an e-Learning course, try reflecting on the experience and skills you have learnt, considering practical applications to your workplace and long-term career.

Managing a career development plan, committing to keeping knowledge up to date and maintaining a career professional development (CPD) Record will serve you best in this regard, try to update these at least every month/6 weeks as being disciplined will keep you focused and your industry experience relevant.

If you plan to take development through training further, you could take a more advanced or specialised qualification than your most recent. For example, a NEBOSH Diploma following a Certificate or a certificate more focused on a certain area of industry such as construction or fire safety.

Alternatively, there are other routes you might consider such as a degree or a masters course; NEBOSH have links with universities in the UK that can help with this, while Masters (MSc) or Masters (MRes) in research are available as eLearning courses.

Other means of enhancement include professional memberships you may be eligible for such as OSPR, IOSH, IIRSM or other specific industry professional bodies – CSCS Card scheme or similar. Making contacts with other professionals in the industry and networking with others by attending branch meetings, joining media groups and like will also be likely to help further your reputation.

Exactly how can careers benefit from SHE Qualifications?

Exactly how can careers benefit from SHE qualifications?

For starters, many employers in relevant roles look for these qualifications in potential future staff.

If staff have a background in Health and safety – no matter how basic – it can be built upon and expanded.

Every industry should include Health and Safety management to some degree, from voluntary sectors, through to high level Management roles and education/training professions.

Key benefits of each qualification type include:

• IOSH – One of the largest SHE membership bodies in the world, they are recognised globally and their courses are great introduction to Health and Safety.
• NEBOSH – Worldwide leading examining body in SHE, utilising robust examination techniques, also working within industry to ensure current processes are inducted within their syllabi keeps their qualifications fresh and relevant for employers.
• NVQ – Work based qualifications, showing a candidates knowledge and understanding of the subject matter within the work environment, providing very specific understanding of the setting as NVQs are evidence based, the collection of which is undertaken through their existing role.

Remember that your qualifications can grow with your career experience and assist with future promotions or direction. IOSH, NEBOSH and NVQ qualifications are set up in a way that enables learners to progress their training alongside their career.

Examples of such progression might be an IOSH Working Safely followed by an IOSH Managing Safely qualification, which you could in turn follow with a NEBOSH General Certificate. Either during this period or after there are also NEBOSH, Fire, Environmental, Construction and Oil & Gas certificates to move onto, the next step likely being a NEBOSH Diploma or Level 6 NVQ Diploma.

Remember, professional bodies such as IOSH not only offer courses, but also offer members the chance to reach chartership and be mentored by others with more experience, along with recording of their professional development and planning. They also offer members other benefits structured in a way to compliment certificated courses.

Why are SHEilds a preferable choice for Health, Safety and Environmental e-Learning?

Health, Safety and Environmental e-Learning has seen massive expansion in the past few decades as our workplaces have become more conscientious. At present the field is far more crowded than when SHEilds pioneered its first courses twenty years ago.

You might ask; why are SHEilds a preferable choice for Health, Safety and Environmental e-Learning?

While offers of SHE training are not uncommon around the internet it’s important to be wary of shady start-ups and subpar courses. SHEilds are accredited by IOSH, NEBOSH and ProQual with continually updated course materials and a team of professional tutors on hand for support.

Unknown providers might try to offer you a deal ‘too good to be true’ but the chances are that this is literally the case. With SHEilds you can rest assured that our services are built from the ground up to meet professional requirements and lead you to a legitimate qualification. We became one of the largest NEBOSH course supplier in the world through many years of providing e-Learning based courses. We’ve been there since the start and we’ve been evolving and bettering students in new ways ever since.

Besides this we also pride ourselves on being a truly global provider, with key offices based in the UK, UAE and South Africa helping students around the world choose courses that work for them. Our tutors and assessors meanwhile have experience in the work place applying Health and Safety in many varied industries. They are easy to approach and passionate about supporting the learners in ways tailored specifically to the individual.

Your success is our mission and we are here to make sure your career goals become a reality.

Need to know more?

If you need to know more or have unanswered questions our friendly course advisor team is here to answer and find a path that works for you. Contact them through our LIVE CHAT tab immediately or use our contact page for further details.

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