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VictorMeldrew  
#1 Posted : 23 May 2022 15:32:48(UTC)
Rank: New forum user
VictorMeldrew

Ok straight forward question in the subject title; a close friends son asked me very recently, but I'm so out of touch with work/careers as I've been retired now for eight years after a very successful career in SH&E, initially with a global blue chip company & then 12 years running my own consultancy. This person would like to do likewise / similar. So is the current employment situation worth someone considering a career in H&S?

peter gotch  
#2 Posted : 24 May 2022 10:14:22(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
peter gotch

Hi VictorM - yes and no.

Possibly depends partly on what lived work experience (and possibly qualifications) your friend's son has and what career direction they would want to go down.

....and may be what risks they consider should be the focus. There are some bubbles that are going to burst at some point.

P

 

HSSnail  
#3 Posted : 24 May 2022 10:21:21(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
HSSnail

Im with Peter on this one - how long is a piece of string? There are plenty of H&S jobs out there on wide pay scales, but lots of people fighting for them. A lot will depend on if your friend is already in employment or is happy to work his way up. One big change i have seen in recent years is the creation of H&S apprentiships which give a new route into the profession. Those of us who have been in H&S for a while may feel jaded from time to time - but its given me a living for my working life and i dont see H&S dissapearing anytime soon. (sorry not spellchecked - hope not two many mistakes.)

A Kurdziel  
#4 Posted : 25 May 2022 10:06:09(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
A Kurdziel

Don’t think anyone knows what the employment picture will be like in the next few years. On one side it seems that the H&S roles will expand as business are being expected to deliver safer workplaces including looking at organisational issues as well as the more traditional hard health and safety (eg machinery and COSHH) on the other hand there is increasing automation of processes including office based activities which might suggest that H&S will start to shrink as we replace people with robots.  

VictorMeldrew  
#5 Posted : 25 May 2022 12:02:53(UTC)
Rank: New forum user
VictorMeldrew

Many thanks everybody. Yes, a lot of ifs, buts & maybe's. I was speicifcally involved in the construction sector, predominantly Sports Stadia & Associated training grounds, eg Wembley, Emirates, Olympics, Spurs & it was excellent work & well paid but they needed heavy tack in terms of qualifications, Arsenal wanted MSc which I was fortunate to get through my company when employed. Speaking & emailing those I worked with it appears Sports Stadia work is very quiet currently & construction is I'm told an 'absolute nightmare' at the moment, plenty of work going on but managing the constant stream of contractors, sub-contractors & different langauages of those working is making things difficult. My friends son has NEBOSH Cert as it was a requriment of him managiong contractors in his company & he's now thinking of Diploma but will have to fund this himself - think I'll tell him to stay with his company & see where he goes with H&S from within - the company is strong & pays well. Better the devil you know at the moment I think. Thanks again.

peter gotch  
#6 Posted : 25 May 2022 13:32:55(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
peter gotch

Hi VM

Perhaps the route for your friend's son would be to quietly up his qualifications, with or without financial or other support from current employer.

(1) National or other Vocational Qualification - possibly starting at Level 3 or just jumping in for the Level 6 - now this would require some support from employer if only to say YES to using what he does at work to help put together a portfolio. You haven't said what he does, but you have mentioned "managing contractors" and if doing that he probably has a broad enough role to being generating the range of evidence that an NVQ portfolio would require - I am basing this on the philosophy that H&S should be managed as an integral part of the line management function from Board to front line, so whatever he does it should encompass a heavy element of H&S and environment.

(2) NCRQ - completely different and would require personal commitment in both time and, probably, money. All about doing assignments usually likely to be outside his comfort zone, but with the same principles often transferable across from a contracting environment to whatever scenarios are in the NCRQ assignments. One @ Level 3 Certificate that probably wouldn't be too taxing for someone with a NEBOSH Certificate, then another Level 3 Certificate on litigation etc, then an assignment to complete a Level 6 Diploma. 

At the same time he could be pushing for any opportunity to take more ownership of H&S and E issues in his current work. "Can I help with that investigation?" and then offer to e.g. develop the tool box talk(s) that might follow.

Good luck whatever he decides.

P

Dave Wassell  
#7 Posted : 30 May 2022 09:24:03(UTC)
Rank: New forum user
Dave Wassell

Yes, it is worth it depending on skills and experience. 

A lot of employers are wanting quite a bit more than just H&S for the posts they are offering so they need to be prepared to upskill regularly. Common requirements lumped in are training skills, Environmental knowledge and Quality Assurance. Also be prepared to pay for these yourself. Once gained though these can be routes to different careers if required.

Starting with smaller businesses  and a level 3 qualification may be the best way in and gain experience.

corrinaevans  
#8 Posted : 15 June 2022 08:51:21(UTC)
Rank: Forum user
corrinaevans

I am currently struggling to recruit and whilst I am biased I believe we are offering a good development package with oppourtunities to progress. We are not the only NHS employer that is struggling to find the right person for our fab team (again biased I know) but it is always worth checking out the NHS job site so I would  recommend looking there. I initially came from working in a factory and came to the NHS when I had first passed NEBOSH, been working in various Trusts for 19 years now-certainly never boring and nothing like I thought it would be so although it may not be an obvious route in it may be worth considering.

thanks 2 users thanked corrinaevans for this useful post.
Martin Fieldingt on 15/06/2022(UTC), peter gotch on 15/06/2022(UTC)
DH1962  
#9 Posted : 26 July 2023 15:19:57(UTC)
Rank: Forum user
DH1962

Perhaps an under-regarded attraction of working in health and safety is wherever I’ve worked I get to go everywhere and talk to everybody. You pick up all sorts of odd nuggets of knowledge and understanding about how people tick and places work that you’ll not get in a role that’s fixed in one part of the factory/office/site. This hasn’t helped me get every job I wanted but looking back it helped me get every job I needed.

 The employment situation will vary over time but this is a profession that offers a lot of different options. I’ve worked in central and local government, small business, multinationals, freelance and now in the charity sector. If I retire from my regular job in a few years, that variety of experience means I’ll still have the option to try consultancy or freelancing again.

Good luck to the young man.

thanks 3 users thanked DH1962 for this useful post.
peter gotch on 26/07/2023(UTC), Andrew_C on 27/07/2023(UTC), chris42 on 02/08/2023(UTC)
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