Workforce development in public and environmental health.

Dear Editor:

In these times of diminishing resources and budgets, the public and environmental health and sciences fields have become increasingly challenging to professionals who have made them their career. It is important that both existing and newly emerging leaders of these fields be reminded of a valuable resource, students, and consider recruiting them for internships and independent study when possible. Doing so will help alleviate resource and budgetary constraints, as well as promote essential workforce and leadership development. Workforce development is our inherent responsibility, and it ensures the continuing development and improvement of public service and environmental quality.

As manager of the Hazardous Waste Minimization Program in U.S. EPA Region 8, I found the workload overwhelming for myself alone. Our program had no part-time or full-time positions available that could be dedicated for additional support, so I began researching other options. As a graduate of Colorado State University's undergraduate program in environmental health, I recalled my valuable internship with the Tri-County Health Department. I established contact with my university advisor and let him know that I would be interested in taking on an intern. At that point, the inquiry wasn't timely because the students had already established their internships for the semester. I was able to acquire an independent-study student instead, one who later decided to complete her required internship with us, continuing her unpaid work. (I, too, worked as an unpaid intern during school.) U.S. EPA Region 8 later revived their Summer Hire Program for one year, and my intern applied and was accepted for four months. This opportunity enabled her to enhance her professional experience with the benefit of receiving pay.

I also received support from two additional interns who were selected for U.S. EPA's Intern Program (EIP) for three months each. The EIP is a full-time, professional, entry-level employment and career development program. Interns are considered U.S. EPA employees and are paid; however, they do not count against regional FTE or salary allocations for two years. During those two years, they serve in various programs of interest for three-month rotations, with the requirement that they serve at least two months in the U.S. EPA Headquarters office in Washington, D.C. Since the inaugural class in 1998, U.S. EPA has hired 192 new professionals and placed them in our Washington, D.C., headquarters and in 11 regional offices. The EIP is a competitive program, and placement is designed according to the overall needs of the agency.

All of these intern students were excellent, contributing greatly to the advancement of our program goals. They demonstrated strong enthusiasm and had creative ideas and fresh perspectives for solving problems, which I learned from during the time they served the agency. I believe they found their work with us valuable and rewarding as well. The independent study and internships provided professional experience for these students, and this experience helped them obtain employment with the agency or other entities upon completion of their internships. I am honored to be able to serve as a future reference for them.

I was happy to help launch the student interns' careers and become a long-term mentor in an advisory capacity, as well as become friends. It gives me pride and personal satisfaction to serve as their mentor. I keep in touch, providing guidance and career advice when advice is sought, and providing support as a fellow professional to promote their continuing growth.

I do believe that meaningful mentoring is a basic leadership responsibility for those in the field of practice. Receiving agencies should realize that mentoring interns does require some of their staffs' time. It's inherent in the responsibility. One should, however, keep in mind the long-term gain. Each intern took a variable portion of my time, which could be frustrating at times when I was very busy, but the program gain in the long run was greater than if I had been trying to accomplish specific projects on my own. In addition, the experience was rewarding not only for the students, but also for me as a professional. I can feel pride in these new professionals as I keep in touch with the growth of their careers and learn of their new accomplishments.

I hope that other professionals and leaders strive to provide valuable experience and mentoring to students looking to develop careers in public and environmental health and sciences fields by employing them as interns or in an independent-study capacity. Mentoring in this capacity provides the opportunity not only to educate and instill values important to the field of practice, but also to guide and nurture, all of which are important for improved public service and environmental quality. As professionals in the field, we have a responsibility for workforce development. Cultivating the transition for students from their formal education into the professional world is a natural pathway for nourishing workforce and leadership development. Students and young professionals are a great resource in these times of diminishing budgets and limited resources, and they can help the fields of public and environmental health and sciences grow and strengthen.

Sincerely,

Kendra Morrison Huang

Environmental Scientist, R.E.H.S./R.S.

U.S. EPA Region 8

Solid & Hazardous Waste Program (RCRA)

Denver, Colorado

P.S.: Students seeking information about summer or temporary opportunities at U.S. EPA can find information at www.epa.gov/students. More information about U.S. EPA's Intern Program can be obtained from www.epa.gov/epapages/epahome/intern.htm or www.epa.gov/Region3/interns/index.htm.