Wastes management is a relatively new and rapidly evolving academic discipline. In the early 1990s, the University of Northampton first started teaching wastes management as a series of optional modules, quickly evolving into a single honours degree. In those early days, we were often asked: ‘How can you make a whole degree out of wastes?’ In fact, with subjects as diverse as landfill, hazardous wastes, MBT, politics of wastes, energy from waste, organic wastes, and wastes management legislation, the issue is: ‘What can we leave out?’ The variability in material that can be included also partly accounts for the differences in curricula at the various universities offering what, on the surface, sounds very similar and, in reality, is very different. And it all needs to be – seemingly continuously – revised and updated to keep pace with
the needs of industry and the whims of policy makers.

Not only are the policies and the technologies represented in the courses changing, the backgrounds and needs of the students are changing, too. At the University of Northampton, we are currently developing courses in wastes management linked with renewable energy and environmental informatics, which will reflect the expanding sector. In addition, the ways we deliver our programmes and engage with students are changing – you can now study for everything from an HNC to an MBA in Wastes Management without ever sitting in a classroom.

As financial and other pressures on students increase, universities are becoming more flexible and imaginative in the ways we teach and assess our programmes. The delivery of distance learning courses is well established in the UK, involving a mixture of hard copy and electronically-delivered learning material, enabling students who cannot physically attend university to obtain a university qualification. The global advance in digital technology has also enabled us to work with partners further afield; for example our MSc International Environmental Management is running in partnership with the University of Madras. We are also looking at developing joint programmes in countries such as Nigeria, the West Indies, Brazil and Malta. Some universities even have campuses in foreign countries for example the University of Nottingham, Ningbo (China).

We can control the content of the courses, but there are also external factors outside of our control, some positive and some negative, but each with their own challenges and opportunities – both for us and the students.

On the negative side, nobody is sure what the impact of the increased fees will be, and especially how they will affect student demand and expectations. I hope that demand for degrees in applied subjects, such as wastes management – with a very clear route to rewarding employment and long-term careers – will increase. Education is an investment and we are hoping that potential students, employers and their families will recognise this.

On the positive side, there are some additional support schemes available for students, with organisations offering students financial and other assistance. CIWM, with the support of its members, also helps students with bursaries to attend conferences and with funding for projects.

Once students have graduated, they face a competitive marketplace for jobs, so universities are making significant efforts to make their students stand out, including applied final year projects working with real life businesses; the opportunity to participate in an environmental social enterprise; and guest lectures from key industry figures.

Waste management education, just like the sector we represent, is in a constant state of change being driven by targets, policy and aspirations. The universities involved and courses that we provide are continuously updated to ensure that we meet the needs of students and the wider industry and so respond to the challenge.