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2.3 Topic i: Training

Solid waste and recycling are beginning to be recognized as standalone subdivisions of the environmental professions in Europe. A university degree in environmental science or engineering, often combined with agriculture, is becoming the accepted route to entering the profession.

A number of technical universities claim students in waste management, but there is not usually anything like a degree program. The University of Luton in the UK does specialize in training waste management professionals, and a number of Dutch professionals have been trained in environmental science at the Agricultural University of Wageningen in the Netherlands. Some universities perform research on solid waste issues.

Universities tend to have a relatively active role in Europe in relation to pilot programs and monitoring. To study at a university in Europe virtually always means to get a masters degree. Current university programs include several environmental science or environmental economics programs, some specialized programs in clean technology, and environmental and waste programs that are part of agricultural or technical universities.

One of the main ways for professionals or would-be professionals to learn about waste management in Europe is through internships. Many university technical and environmental programs require at least one internship, and many of the organizations listed will accept interns for specific projects or as general assistance. Internships in Europe tend to be of several months' duration, and require the intern to perform a piece of research, document the research, and have the resulting report approved. Quite a large percentage of waste professionals enter the field by way of these internships, and the contacts they make during this time serve as the beginning foundation of their professional networks.

For those already working in the field, conferences, seminars, and professional meetings and commissions are frequent forums for de facto training and human resource development. Professional and technical associations play an important role in organizing such meetings. In addition, the structure of European Union funding for environmental projects in general, and for solid waste projects in particular, creates an incentive for a large number of information exchange programs, particularly those targeting southern European countries like Greece and Portugal. These exchange programs serve as peer exchange and in-service training for those in solid waste management.

In some European countries that are less economically developed, there is a critical shortage of trained personnel. In Turkey, for example, a study reported that only about one percent of the municipalities have as director of the cleansing department a person who received formal education in this field.

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• International Year of Forests
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