Addressing the Environmental Health Workforce Shortage: Unpacking Complexities Associated With the EnvironmentaHealth Technician Role

Environmental health professionals are crucialin protecting communities from harm by preventing and addressingenvironmental health threats. Becoming an environmental healthprofessional (EHP) typically requires a degree-level qualification orequivalent in most countries. Globally, a chronic shortage of qualified EHPshas led to greater reliance on the employment of environmental healthtechnicians (EHTs) to address environmental health threats, particularlyin regulatory settings. Our article uses a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses,opportunities, and threats) analysis to explore the complexities of thisgrowing workplace trend across several countries. Our findings indicatethat while the EHT role offers many benefits, it also presents challenges.To effectively tackle these challenges, we propose a strategic frameworkconsisting of five essential components that are needed to assist in managingthe complexities associated with this trend: 1) education and training, 2)role clarity, 3) risk-based task allocation, 4) professional development, and5) organizational support.