Industry trains its sights on the future

The established professional bodies and industrial associations in the waste sector provide a constantly developing range of training and educational services to respond to the increasing pace of change in this area.


The Institute of Wastes Management (IWM) states that, for everyone who works in waste management, “the next decade will see strong emphasis on raising professional standards, in response to legislative, environmental and public pressure. Quality professionals will be in demand.”

IWM lists a number of waste management courses available throughout the UK to cater for a range of academic requirements. These include the Certificate in Supervisory Management (with wastes management option) intended for anyone engaged in, or aspiring to, a supervisory position in wastes management in the public or private sectors.

There is also a two-year Higher National Certificate in Wastes Management which has been designed to develop the competencies required to perform effectively at junior to middle management level in the wastes management industry.

The IWM has a scheme of Continuing Professional Development and also runs a comprehensive programme of courses on every aspect of wastes management, from collection and street cleansing, through recycling and composting to contract management in a best value regime to the management of healthcare waste to basic landfill gas management, and many other subjects. New courses for 2000 include the implementation of environmental management systems in the wastes management industry and IPPC.

IWM can provide customised courses for companies in the industry, such as the one-day short training course dealing with the topics of landfill gas and leachate control which was produced for May Gurney (Construction) Ltd. Delegates from May Gurney, Waste Recycling Group and Robert Long Consultancy attended the course.

Future projects for WAMITAB

The Waste Management Industry Training and Advisory Board (WAMITAB), which was set up by the industry to ensure that COTC obligations were met, by developing relevant qualifications for employees within the waste management sector, is developing a wider role.

WAMITAB has set out key projects for the future, including:

  • review and setting of education and training targets
  • development of a suite of recycling standards
  • development of a modern apprenticeship framework
  • raising the profile of Investors in People in the industry
  • development of an assessment scheme for lower level waste management awards
  • development of curricular-based materials for schools and colleges
  • preparation of a Careers Guide for the Waste Management Industry.

WAMITAB is currently developing a web page – www.wamitab.org.uk – tailored to the needs of the waste management industry.

Cleaning up on training

The British Cleaning Council, the co-ordinating body for the UK cleaning industry, is making its largest ever award in order in order to secure the future of the industry’s national training organisation.

A grant of up to £150,000, payable over three years, is going to the council’s newest member, the Cleaning and Support Services National Training Organisation. The NTO’s application for funding followed the recent agreement to merge the organisation within the structure of the British Institute of Cleaning Science. The deal between the BICSc and the Cleaning & Support Services Association, which provides for the Institute to take over responsibility for the NTO, should remove any perceived barriers to the closer involvement of local authority, healthcare and other public sector personnel in training projects initiated by the NTO.


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