Environmental Health Graduates’ Work Skills Competencies: Perspectives from the Employers and the Graduates

Introduction: Environmental health is a rapidly evolving field, and professionals working in this field have to deal with increasingly complex environmental and public health concerns. Consequently, their skill development is a key component in ascertaining their abilities to match work requirements to the satisfaction of their employers. Training and education of these professionals requires involvement of the relevant stakeholders to apt their technical skills in preparation of the role to be undertaken. Thus, the universities and other institutions of higher learning, in their efforts to improve graduate output should understand the labor market. Additionally, due to constant transformation and reorganization of strategies and plans by practitioner organizations, employers’ perspective in assessing graduates’ abilities and performance is necessary. Aim: The purpose of this study was to assess the employers’ perspectives on the graduates’ abilities to handle work demands. Methods: A cross sectional descriptive study design involving employers and graduates of environmental health program of Moi University using mixed methods was carried out. Pretested semi structured paper questionnaires were administered to 45 employers, while online survey was carried out on 227 sampled graduates. In-depth interviews were further subjected to the graduates to corroborate issues raised. Quantitative data analysis was done using statistical package for social scientists (SPSS) version 20 where the data was summarized using frequencies and proportions. Qualitative data was thematically analyzed. Results: The overall employer assessment of the graduates’ abilities to handle work demands was satisfactory with 18 (46.1% 7 of the employers rating them as good). On self-assessment, 116 (61.7%) of the graduates reported not to have faced any skills competency challenge at their work place and only 57 (30.3%) reported adequacy in skills acquired during undergraduate training. From the in-depth interviews, the graduates applauded the current curriculum implementation strategy of Problem Based Learning (PBL) but faulted the infrastructural inadequacies for low competencies and inadequate skills. The in-depth interviews further revealed a picture of graduates struggling with skills’ mismatch in their job placement. Conclusion: The study revealed a good rating by employers on the graduates’ competency skills but a high proportion (69.7%) of graduates reported lack of adequate skills to match their work demands. Recommendations: Institutions of higher learning need to invest in infrastructural elements of curriculum implementation to boost more practical sessions for better skills’ acquisition that matches the industrial needs.

Environmental perspectives of COVID-19 outbreaks:A review

The coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)pandemic,caused by the novel virus severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2),began in December 2019 in China and has led to a global public health emergency.Previously,it was known as 2019-nCoV and caused disease mainly through respiratory pathways.The COVID-19 outbreak is ranked third globally as the most highly pathogenic disease of the twenty-first century,after the outbreak of SARS-CoV and Middle East respiratory syndrome in 2002 and 2012,respectively.Clinical,laboratory,and diagnostic methodology have been demonstrated in some observational studies.No systematic reviews on COVID-19 have been published regarding the integration of COVID-19 outbreaks(monitoring,fate and treatment)with environmental and human health perspectives.Accordingly,this review systematically addresses environmental aspects of COVID-19 outbreak such as the origin of SARS-CoV-2,epidemiological characteristics,diagnostic methodology,treatment options and technological advancement for the prevention of COVID-19 outbreaks.Finally,we integrate COVID-19 outbreaks(monitoring,fate and treatment)with environmental and human health perspectives.We believe that this review will help to understand the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak as a multipurpose document,not only for the scientific community but also for global citizens.Countries should adopt emergency preparedness such as prepare human resources,infrastructure and facilities to treat severe COVID-19 as the virus spreads rapidly globally.

Design Strategies of Healing Environment in Dongheyan Area from the Perspective of Health

In the new urban construction,the concept of healing environment is helpful to promote the physical and mental health of the urban public.By combing the relevant theories of health and environment,such as stress relief theory,attention recovery theory,biophilia design,evidence-based design,etc.and using field research methods,the functional layout,slow walking environment,public space,healing environment and healing architecture of Dongheyan area were analyzed,and the design strategies of healing environment were put forward for the slow walking environment and public space in Dongheyan area based on all aspects of problems and attributes of the area.

问渠哪得清如许,为有源头活水来——贺《环境与职业医学》创刊30周年

Environmental Health Perspectives（EHP）自2004年与上海市疾病预防控制中心正式建立合作关系以来,《环境与职业医学》杂志的同仁一直是我们亲密的工作伙伴。《环境与职业医学》迎来创刊30周年之际,正是EHP与上海市疾病预防控制中心合作10周年之时,这真是一个美丽的巧合!在上海市疾病预防控制中心与EHP合作出版的《环境与健康展望（中文版）》的初期,其翻译、排版、印刷等统筹工作大部分由《环境与职业医学》编辑部协助和负责。