Reflections on the Foundation Certificate in Environmental Management: How ISEP’s corporate partners are building sustainability skills

The training covers various aspects including the concept of sustainable development, global mega trends, pollution sources and consequences, environmental policy and legislation, environmental management and assessment tools, skills for sustainable leadership and delivering sustainable solutions.  

ISEP has worked with NHS Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Integrated Care Board and Hays Recruitment for one and four years respectively – collaborating to support the organisations with professional development and training opportunities, close green skills gaps and help them tap into the vast expertise of ISEP’s networks.  

A broad foundation of sustainability knowledge – Jack Brewin, Hays Recruitment

"I participated in this training because I identified it as a valuable course offering a broad foundation of sustainability knowledge, which will enable me to apply a deeper understanding to my work. I would describe the course as excellent – it was very well delivered and informative, and the trainers were supportive throughout," said Jack Brewin, Team Manager & Recruitment Consultant, Hays Recruitment. 

"My most valuable takeaway from the course was learning to use the triple bottom line to assess the sustainability of business practices, as well as critically thinking about the reality of some ‘green’ alternatives – particularly electric vehicles (EVs), which require significant amounts of lithium, an incredibly unsustainable and environmentally damaging material with a harmful extraction process.   

"Having completed the course, I feel more confident engaging in in-depth technical discussions with my customers and am better able to understand their business practices from a sustainability perspective."

ISEP certificate enhances my credibility - Siân Pither, NHS

"I have worked for the NHS for 22 years, working across many roles – from Executive Assistant to Elective Care Commissioner," said Siân Pither, Sustainability & Growth Programme Manager, NHS Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes ICB.

"Eighteen months ago, I had the chance to move into a sustainability role. Since then, I have completed several sustainability training courses, [and] while these courses deepened my understanding of sustainability within the healthcare sector, I recognised that my perspective was NHS-centric. I wanted to broaden my knowledge and explore how sustainability principles apply across other industries. 

"I found the training useful and interesting. It was great hearing from the other students who were from differing backgrounds and at various stages in their sustainability journeys. They were able to bring the subjects to life and spark meaningful discussions. The structure of the sessions, with regular breaks and interactive elements, made full-day virtual learning manageable and effective. 

"Key takeaways for me were around legislation, pollution, Environmental Management Systems (EMS) and auditing; practical areas I feel will help me if I move away from the NHS. Most notably for me was a clear understanding of the scale and seriousness with which organisations outside of healthcare are approaching Net Zero targets and the legislation that is enabling this. 

"Since completing the course, I feel more confident in discussing sustainability topics with others. I can now talk more about environmental impacts referencing the Natural Cycles, eco systems and relevant legislation. I have a better understanding of EMS frameworks which could be useful in future roles, and having the ISEP Certificate will enhance my credibility as a sustainability professional."

I now speak with experience about ISEP training options - Helena Flippance, ISEP  

"I joined the course because I wanted to strengthen my background in sustainable development with an understanding of sustainability issues from a corporate lens," said Helena Flippance, Corporate Partnerships Manager, ISEP.  

"As Corporate Partnerships Manager at ISEP, I spend a lot of my time talking to and supporting businesses on their sustainability journeys, so it’s important that I am informed on the core issues they are grappling with.  

"For me, the course brought home the scale and complexity of challenges that must be overcome to achieve sustainable development that benefits both people and the planet. This was particularly well expressed through the notions of Planetary Boundaries and Doughnut Economics - two concepts that convey both the threats to environmental health and human wellbeing, and the actions we must take to balance the two.  

"A key learning from the course was the value of effective communication and stakeholder management when enacting sustainability changes within a business. It was interesting to reflect on how significantly the success of a new initiative designed to deliver sustainability improvements depends on consulting and informing relevant people. This is an important insight I can bring into my conversations with our corporate partners as they continually explore new ways to make their organisation more sustainable.  

"Having completed the course, I can now speak from a place of experience about the training options ISEP offer. I’m looking forward to having practical conversations with my partners about the importance of professional development in demonstrating capabilities and closing green skills gaps, both of which are critical if we are to deliver on the net zero agenda.  

"It was great to participate alongside some of our valued corporate partners and see them utilise the training to strengthen their teams."

Build a skilled and sustainable workforce 

Access to professional development opportunities through discounted training and individual memberships are just two of the fantastic benefits ISEP’s corporate partnership programme offers, enabling businesses to develop sustainability skills, create an organisation wide approach to sustainability and equip their teams for the future.  

Ready to empower your workforce? Contact corporate@isepglobal.org to learn more.