Strategies for Encouraging Young People To Pursue Careers in EHS

[Enter: THE SAFETY COP]

We’ve all heard of him. He’s a rules-obsessed, clipboard-carrying taskmaster. He walks through the workplace with a disapproving expression, driven by the need to slow everyone down with mountains of paperwork. For some people, he’s the first thing they think of when hearing the words “health and safety.”

With that image in mind, it’s no surprise young people aren’t always very enthusiastic about pursuing careers in safety. Misconceptions about Environment, Health & Safety (EHS) roles may seem harmless, but they become harmful when they stop people—especially young people—from entering health and safety-related fields.

Bringing younger generations into the workforce should be a priority in any industry, and EHS is no exception. Young people can offer valuable fresh perspectives, new technological skills and an appetite for furthering environmental, social and governance (ESG) priorities. And it’s not just about the positive impact young safety professionals can have on the field—it’s about the remarkable benefits they can experience working in safety.

In this post, we’ll discuss how safety professionals currently land their roles, the benefits of EHS positions, reasons young people may not consider safety careers and the efforts required by EHS professionals to encourage young people to hit “apply.”

Falling into health and safety

In episode 216 of our podcast, Two Bald Guys Talking Safety, hosts Langdon Dement and Julian Taylor are joined by Simon Jones, author of two books on health and safety, “The Safety Salesman: Shoot From The Lip” and “The Safety Salesman: Big Mouth Writes Again.”

Jones, a former police officer, didn’t choose to pursue a career in health and safety when he was young—instead, he “fell” into it. When offered an interview for a health and safety position, his first instinct was to say no. “I had that preconceived idea about who goes into [an EHS] the role, or what the role is all about,” Jones says. “But as soon as I started doing it, I enjoyed it.”

According to Jones, “falling” into health and safety is a common path among EHS professionals. But this approach to securing a safety role really only applies to more experienced professionals who have acquired relevant EHS skills throughout their careers. For those who haven’t entered the workforce, “falling” into a career in health and safety isn’t likely.

To encourage more young people to proactively pursue careers in safety, it’s essential to provide them with more opportunities to explore the field.

Challenges in encouraging young people to pursue careers in health and safety:

1.    Lack of information. Knowledge on the depth and variety of health and safety roles just isn’t offered to most young people. “I just don’t think there’s enough information for kids to understand that [EHS] is a role, and that there are different roles inside that role,” Jones says in Two Bald Guys.

2.    Misconceptions. It’s not just the so-called “safety cop.” Misconceptions about health and safety professionals persist, discouraging people from pursuing EHS roles.

• “Only men can be safety professionals.” Even today, health and safety roles are dominated by men. Women in health and safety experience the same frustrations as women in any male-dominated field, like lack of respect, exclusionary behavior and bias. These realities make young women less likely to pursue a career in health and safety.

3.    “Safety professionals are settling for their second choice.” Many assume that EHS professionals take their jobs not because of their passion for the work, but because they have no other choice. Working in EHS is often described as a “Plan B.” Many believe that, like Jones, everyone “falls” into health and safety.

4.    “EHS professionals are safety cops.” We’re pretty familiar with this one. In Jones’ words, “the wider world still thinks that [health and safety professionals] are a bunch of stiffs who like to talk in technical jargon and tell people off” (Chapter 3, Big Mouth Writes Again).

5.    “Working in safety is a waste of time.” Many outside the field don’t see EHS as offering clear career progression.

Benefits of a career in health and safety

Safety roles may have a bit of a publicity problem, but they're not short on benefits. An EHS role offers a young person the opportunity to build a career that's stable, highly skilled and financially rewarding. Not only that, but because health and safety is a continually evolving industry, those EHS professionals will benefit from a culture of continual learning and skill development, which means that every day is different and interesting.

These are just a few of the benefits that can come from a role in health and safety:

1.    Fulfillment

• Millennials and Gen Z, who make up half of today’s workforce, are looking for meaningful jobs (BBC). Working in EHS is a unique opportunity to make a tangible difference in workers’ lives—and even save lives.

2.    Good pay

• The pandemic revealed a strong need for professionals with specialized safety skills and knowledge across a variety of sectors. As a result, businesses are investing more in EHS roles and salaries have become increasingly competitive (IOSH).

3.    Opportunities to learn new and transferrable skills

• Skills valued in a safety professional—like communication, leadership and analytical thinking—can be applied to roles in a variety of industries. In particular, working in an EHS role can be an excellent way to learn business management skills.

4.    Work flexibility

• EHS professionals are needed across all sectors in all parts of the world. Pursuing a career in EHS can offer young people the chance to work for a wide variety of organizations in locations across the globe.

Strategies for attracting people to careers in health and safety earlier and more proactively

How can established safety professionals and organizations promote careers in health and safety?

1.    Sponsor apprenticeships, internships and scholarships

• According to Jones’ book, “The Safety Salesman: Shoot From The Lip,” apprenticeships are “a really good way for people to get into work and study at the same time. They are cost effective (always thinking salesman) and add value (one of our key phrases) for both the individual and the organization.” (Chapter 15)

2.    Contribute to and promote courses and modules

• Today, some schools, colleges and universities offer courses and modules in occupational health and safety. These become more prevalent in higher education. Institutions can also include modules focusing on health and safety in their larger courses to give students a taste of the field without the need to take a full course.

3.    Support learning while earning

• Organizations can support young individuals as they pursue certifications in health and safety, such as courses offered by the National Examination Board in Health and Safety.

4.    Cut through the stereotypes and noise

• It’s important for established individuals to elevate the voices of EHS workers who break the stereotypes. Young people who see themselves represented are more likely to pursue careers in health and safety.

Because of the misconceptions and lack of information surrounding health and safety, attracting young people to the industry can be a difficult task. But by providing opportunities to build their engagement within EHS, we'll create a new generation of EHS professionals that are passionate about protecting the workers around them.

Say goodbye to the safety cop—he’s retiring for good.

To learn more about how we can encourage young people to pursue careers in health and safety, check out episode 215 of our podcast, Two Bald Guys Talking Safety: The Next Generation of Health and Safety Professionals: Setting Them Up for Success.