What is the Environmental
Technician Certificate Program?
Good question! The North Carolina
Occupational Safety and Health Education & Research
Center at the University of North Carolina at
Chapel Hill has designed and developed the Environmental
Technician Certificate Program to recognize
those individuals who have completed a selected
set of requirements outlined for an Environmental
Technician. Upon successful completion of two
required courses and elective courses, a program
certificate and plaque will be awarded. The program
requirements are listed below.
Supervisors, listen up! Have you
ever had difficulty finding qualified Environmental
Technicians, or do you feel that you must spend
valuable time training new techs? Well this program
should be of interest to you. The Environmental
Technician Certificate Program is designed to
provide an independent external assessment of
technician expertise to assist you. In addition,
the program gives you a wonderful opportunity
to support your technician training. This is
a great way to show your support for their efforts
to improve environmental technician knowledge.
So in essence, the program offers a win-win opportunity
for both you (the Supervisor) and you (the Environmental
Technician). The NC OSHERC will also bring the
Environmental Technician Certificate program
to your organization on a contract basis.
What are the requirements?
Program participants are required to obtain six credits through successful completion of two required courses and elective courses chosen to complete the credit requirements. An exam must be passed at the end of each course. Only courses offered at the North Carolina Annual Occupational Safety and Health Winter and Summer Institutes will be accepted as program credit.
Program participants will be required to take the two required courses listed below and pass an exam after each course:
Fundamentals of Environmental Health (Required – 2 Credits).
Offered at the 2010 Winter Institute.
Environmental
Regulations for Safety and Health Professionals (Required - 2 Credits)
To be offered at the 2010 Summer Institute
The four remaining elective
credits may be chosen from the Institute class
list. View our
2010 Winter Institute course listing.
Courses
are designated as required or elective courses.
Any course designated
as an elective may be chosen for the Environmental
Technician Certificate Program. An elective course may be used as
credit in only one certificate program.
You must submit a Technician
Certificate Application Form with the $75 application fee before you
can be accepted into a certificate program and
be eligible to sit for an exam.
Frequently Asked Questions About
the Environmental Technician Certificate Program
Q. How can I enroll in the program?
A: Click here to obtain a certificate
program application form. Complete
the application form and return it with the
$75.00 application fee to NC
OSHERC, PO Box 16248, Chapel Hill, NC 27516-6248.
You will receive a letter notifying you of
program acceptance. If you are not accepted
by the review board, you will be notified by
letter stating the reason. This letter will
also advise you of what will be needed for
program acceptance. Upon completion of these
requirements, you may then resubmit your application
Q: Are there any prerequisites for this
program?
A: Yes, to be accepted to this program you must
have at a minimum a high school diploma or GED
equivalent.
Q: What is required for program completion?
A: Each participant must earn six credits. Two credits must be from Environmental Regulations for Safety and Health Professionals course, and two credits from Fundamentals of Environmental Health, and two credits from elective courses listed for the upcoming 2010 Winter Institute. Successful completion of an exam at the end of each course is required.
Q: How quickly can I complete the program?
A: The program can be completed in one year if courses are taken at three consecutive Institutes. For example, you take Fundamentals of Environmental Health at the first Institute and earn two credits. The following Institute you take Environmental Regulations for Safety and Health Professionals and earn two credits. At the last institute, you take electives to earn a total of two elective credits giving you a total of six credits to complete the program. Each participant has a maximum of three years to complete the program beginning with the date of the first course.
Q: I have previously taken some of the
electives with the NC OSHERC, can these count
toward the Environmental Technician Certificate
Program?
A: If you have taken any of the required
or elective courses with the NC OSHERC within the last
three years before you entered the program,
and have not used the course for another technician
program elective, you may qualify to take the exam
at the institute. If
a course is eligible, you must pass the current
course exam to obtain program credit. Please
contact our office at 888-235-3320 to discuss the
course eligibility. An elective course may
be used as credit in only one certificate program.
Q: How many exams are there and what
do they consist of?
A: There will be an exam after EACH course.
The exams will consist of approximately fifty
multiple-choice questions related to material
covered in the course. A maximum of two hours
is given to complete an exam.
Q: What do I need to pass the exam?
A: With each exam, a passing score of
70% or higher is required. If you do not pass an
exam, the details of a retake can be arranged
on an individual basis with the NC OSHERC.
Q: How will I know if I have passed
an exam?
A: After the institute, a letter will be mailed
to each participant with exam results.
Q: How is the Environmental Technician
Certificate awarded?
A: After successful completion of your course
of study and examinations, the Environmental
Technician Certificate Program plaque and final
certificate of completion will be sent to each
program graduate.
How can I get information or enroll
in the program?
Click here to obtain a certificate program
application form.
If you would like information about
the Environmental Technician Certificate Program,
call the North Carolina Occupational Safety and
Health Education & Research
Center at toll free 1-888-235-3320, 1-919-962-2101,
Fax 1-919-966-7579, or email osherc@unc.edu.
CONGRATULATIONS to the
9th graduating class of the Environmental Technician
Certificate Program! (Summer Institute 2009)
