For over a decade, IP&O’s Environmental Health and Safety Group (REHS), Rutgers School of Public Health, and Rutgers—Newark Earth and Environmental Sciences have been offering an Alternate Spring Break program to help students gain a competitive edge by reducing barriers to professional success.

During an intensive week, 22 committed students completed their 40-hour Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER) training. Over the decade, over 200 students have completed their HAZWOPER by choosing this training over Spring Break. 

Credentials gained from the program gives participants a clear advantage for internships, co-ops, and the crucial first job after graduation. In fact, students had meaningful discussions with environmental, health, and safety professionals at the social event sponsored by the NJ Chapter of the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP), OSHA, and PEOSH, which could open the door for them to land exciting positions! 

The program exceeds the standard certification requirements. It delves into the science of hazardous materials, drawing on students’ backgrounds in chemistry, biology, physics, public health, and more. It was a semester’s worth of learning condensed into just one week. 

This article can be found in the IP&O Insights Newsletter July Issue.