Training Your Personnel: Level 4

Unit 5 - Training Needs Analysis


5.5 Establishing Skills Required

All personnel on site will require environmental awareness training. This will fulfil the organisational training needs of implementing an EMS.

Establishing what specific environmental training is required is more involved. The Management Representative and members of the Environmental Steering Committee should determine the training needs of personnel carrying out specialised environmental management functions, such as internal auditors, and of those performing operations and activities which have been identified as having a significant environmental impact.

An assessment of the key skills required for each job can be undertaken by:

  • Analysing a job or task, determining the skills required to do it
  • Using any relevant information, such as written procedures or job descriptions.
The skills identified should be shown on a matrix together with the levels of skill required and attained by each person or similar group of people. This should form the basis of determining training needs. A shortfall between a requirement and achievement would indicate that training is required. The training required should be put into a training plan which details who requires training, what type of training, who will the provide the training, an when it will occur.

Skills matrices should be held by relevant managers or the personnel department. The matrices should be updated as and when new skills are acquired and should be reviewed in conjunction with staff/management appraisals.

Skills required by internal auditors are shown in the ISO 14012: 1996 Guidelines for environmental auditing Qualification criteria for environmental auditors.