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Get Credentialed: No Question About it

  • By Christopher Young
  • Apr 05, 2010

What’s the big deal about having a whole bunch of letters following a name? Does it mean that person can do the job better?

Actually, the letters can be quite significant. REM, CEA, REPA, CSP and some others easily identify the bearer as someone who is skilled, knowledgeable and experienced.  

Before accrediting procedures existed, anyone could claim to be proficient in environmental matters. In the last 40 years, the field has changed dramatically:

  • now more than 300 U.S. colleges and universities offer degrees in various environmental disciplines, and
  • the laws, methodologies, and technologies are far more sophisticated.
As a result, qualifications may mean more than they ever have before.

At some public hearings, citizens have strongly express doubts about environmental professionalism ─ whether in industry, consulting, or the government. Accreditation helps the public and government identify environmental professionals as capable individuals. In addition, credentials signal a solid level of knowledge recognized by peers and employers.

There are 400 instances in federal environmental law that say an individual must be qualified to do specific jobs. If not, that individual and his or her employer are liable and subject to civil and criminal penalties. That scares banks, insurance companies, and corporate lawyers. They support certification.

Some people are reluctant to seek credentials because they fear failing the certification exam. This fear is understandable (especially for those who have been out of school for a number of years); the exam represents an unknown. Like other "unknowns," the fear of the accrediting exam is often exaggerated.

Once you get past the fear and understand the concrete benefits of credentials, you surely will be joining the hundreds of people who are seeking and obtaining environmental credentials each month through state or private organizations. It's a great way to upgrade professionalism in the industry.

About the Author

Christopher Young is director of operations for the National Registry of Environmental Professionals, based in Glenview, Ill.

Comments

Mon, Apr 12, 2010

Of the four certification acronyms listed in the original article, three are offered by the author's organization. Too bad the article doesn't list other certifications by name. A notable omission is Certified Hazardous Materials Manager (CHMM), a well respected certification in the environmental industry; there are 15,000 CHMMs.

Fri, Apr 9, 2010 American Academy of Environmental Engineers Annapolis, MD

The American Academy of Environmental Engineers has been Board Certifying environmental engineers for 56 years. Initially we called our credential Diplomate Environmental Engineer. Now it's called Board Certified Environmental Engineer (BCEE for licensed PEs) and Board Certified Environmental Engineering Member (BCEEM for nonPE practitioners). Getting government agencies to recognize accredited credentials is a monumental task as there is much confusion out there about what credentials actually stand for. Our BCEEs and BCEEMs have at least 8 years of experience beyond their bachelor's in Engineering plus 4 years of responsible charge. They must pass both a written and an oral exam. They are truly experts in environmental engineering.

Tue, Apr 6, 2010 Regulus NJ

I have REM, CSP, CHMM, CHS-V, CIP after my name and it has helped me several times to get a better job and once I had the job, I made a better impression on my company's clients.

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