Tavares Group Blog

The Results are in!

Between May 17 and June 15, 2007, Tavares Group Consulting conducted an Environmental and Health & Safety (EHS) Training Needs Survey among local businesses and organizations in an effort to assess the current availability and increased need for training in London and the surrounding area. A cross section of organizations were polled from areas such as waste management, manufacturing, educational facilities, municipalities, utilities, industry associations, service providers, hospitals and banking institutions.

We learned that nearly 80 per cent of survey respondents are interested in more local training opportunities, with over 40 per cent who reported current specific training requirements. As a result, Tavares Group Consulting will be planning over the summer months to implement local training sessions beginning in the Fall. Stay tuned to our website and e-mail alerts for scheduling information.

Highlights of the survey are as follows:

About the Organizations

• Bulk of respondents were Environmental and EHS Coordinators/Managers at 29 per cent each, followed by Human Resource and Quality Coordinators/Managers (14 per cent each) and Health and Safety Coordinators and Managing Directors at seven per cent.
• 79 per cent of respondents had other business locations – 72 per cent of these include locations within and outside Canada. Of those having locations in Canada, 27 per cent of these were within 100 km.
• 64 per cent of respondents came from a manufacturing environment with educational institutions and service providers following at 14 per cent respectively and other undefined environments at 7 per cent.

About Training Opportunities

• Most knowledge is obtained from training and legislative updates at 71 per cent followed by peers (64 per cent); government comes in last at 36 per cent. Of those who rated the source of knowledge, 29 per cent considered legislative updates as most important, followed by training at 17 per cent and peers at 14 per cent.
• 57 per cent of respondents attend internal training and 64 per cent attend external training opportunities. Of the external training attended, 57 per cent reported both local attendance and 50 per cent, distant.
• Half-day sessions on specific regulatory sessions (air, waste, water), one-day regulatory overviews and a local environmental conference were ranked most important by 50 per cent of respondents. Most survey respondents showed little interest in stand-alone management systems (14 per cent) but are interested in integrating these and optimizing them (36 per cent). Asbestos, TDG and Industrial Hygiene followed at 36 percent.
• Respondents reported that training is first and foremost for continuing education purposes for EHS personnel (71 per cent), followed by due diligence for senior managers (36 per cent). General awareness for Quality personnel on integration of management systems garnered 29 per cent of responses and general awareness for purchasing sits at seven per cent.
• Objective to improve programs was the top reason for attending training sessions at 64 per cent, followed by meeting customer requirements at 21 per cent and compliance at 14 per cent.
• 36 per cent report that half-day sessions work best, followed by full-day at 29 per cent and 21 per cent do not have a preference. Fifty percent stated that any London location works.

Thanks again to all who responded to the survey. Stay tuned to our website and e-mail alerts for scheduling information.

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