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Environmental Health Practitioner
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Environmental health practitioners ensure that the places where people live, eat and work are safe and hygienic. They do this through inspecting shops, restaurants, houses, factories and offices to see that health standards comply with the law. They may be involved in all aspects of the work or may specialise in an area such as:

· Food safety - investigating food standards and safety and hygiene complaints, or incidents such as food poisoning and outbreaks of communicable diseases;
· Health and safety - giving advice, for example, on health and safety issues when plans are being made for a new building;
· Housing - arranging grants for renovations and dealing with incidents such as rat infestations and blocked drains;
· Environmental protection - monitoring levels of noise, air, land and water pollution and dealing with issues such as contamination of land and toxic waste or a complaint about noisy neighbours.

Entry level

To become an environmental health practitioner, you would need a degree or postgraduate award accredited by the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health or the Royal Environmental Health Institute of Scotland.

Entry to an accredited first degree requires GCSEs/S grades (A-C/1-3) in English language, mathematics, biology, chemistry and physics, together with at least 160 points at AS and A2 level/H grades, with a science subject at A2 or 200 points at AS and A level/H grades without a science subject. Alternative qualifications are also considered. Entry to a suitable postgraduate course requires a degree from a United Kingdom university in an appropriate science or technology subject, or qualifications and experience considered equivalent.

Environmental health degree courses cover a range of topics, including human health, sustainability and environmental management, acoustics, food safety, occupational health and safety, waste management, environmental protection and pollution control, public health and housing, and infection control.

Adult entrants may be preferred, as the job requires a mature approach. People who have worked in scientific or technical environments may have an advantage. Mature applicants may be accepted onto degree courses without the usual entry requirements, particularly if they have relevant work experience or have done an Access course.

Making the grade

You would have to undertake a period of practical training - for a minimum of 48 weeks - in addition to your academic studies. This is often combined in a sandwich course that integrates both the academic course and practical training and is four years long. Alternatively, you could complete your work experience after graduation or you could study for a degree part-time while working as an environmental health technician. You would also have to complete a logbook and pass a professional exam.

There is a clearly defined promotion structure that leads to senior, principal and chief officer posts in environmental health, although you may need to move to other authorities to gain wider experience or to secure promotion.