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Enhancing tertiary education and professional development

Environmental management is an ever-diversifying field, no longer focused on the biophysical sciences and managing negative industrial impacts. Sustainability has become a central issue, and systems thinking and interdisciplinary perspectives have permeated our understanding of planetary imperatives. Awareness of the risks of climate change heightens these directions, and linkages to agriculture, health, coastal and urban planning, and other interdisciplinary fields necessitate a broad understanding of environmental issues that cross the biophysical, socio-economic and business disciplines. Tertiary education is vital for preparing and maintaining lifelong learning for effective environmental professionals. The relationship between tertiary institutions and employers is important in the successful transformation from tertiary student to environmental professional, and in preparing for changing career roles. The relationship between tertiary education and professional development was highlighted at the EIANZ Conference in September 2011, through discussions on professional practice and tertiary education (organised by Paul Keighley, Chair of EIANZ Students and Early Careers Committee), and on tertiary training and professionals for a sustainable environmental future (organised by the editors, with Claudia Baldwin). In synthesising these discussions here, we acknowledge the lead speakers (Alison Burgoyne and Jerrily Blank, Pam Williams, Richard Baker, Claudia Baldwin and Morgan Williams) and participants. There appears to be a sentiment in the profession that environment-related university degrees do not sufficiently or appropriately prepare graduates for the workplace, particularly in the fields of consulting and industry. While anecdotal reports and surveys suggest that key skills and competencies expected by employers and graduates alike are gained through further formal study, short courses and onthe-job training rather than undergraduate degrees, views at the conference diverged as to how much skill development should be expected within a university degree. We also need to consider whether there is an established consensus in the community about expectations of universities, environment-related degrees and recent graduates. A fundamental aspect is the point at which it is most appropriate to begin to specialise. With rapid industrial and knowledge growth, there will always be a gap between what is taught and learnt at university, and the specialised and generic skills required in the diversity of roles environmental professionals are expected to play. Disciplinary expertise is essential, but employers and graduates acknowledge the value of generic skills learned at university, especially the capacity to see one’s Australasian Journal of Environmental Management Vol. 19, No. 1, March 2012, 1 4