Free training can be a quick and cheap way to beef up your resume a little. A relevant free training can show employers that an applicant is motivated to learn about the industry or has knowledge about regulations, which is particularly important for new graduates. Many of these trainings even include a nice printable certificate with your name on it after completion! I’ve scoured the internet for free trainings, and have provided links below to online trainings relevant to various environmental topics, including:
- Stormwater Management/Erosion and Sediment Control
- Water Pollution
- Watershed Management
- Air Quality
- Environmental Health
- Hazardous Waste
- Sustainability
- Climate Science
- Emergency Management
- GIS (Geographic Information System)
- Grant Management
Stormwater Management/Erosion and Sediment Control
Erosion and sediment control is relevant to any environmental position dealing with construction or permitting. Erosion and sediment controls are required by state and federal regulations on sites where there is ground disturbance, to prevent stormwater from washing sediment into waterways. Many states have paid or in-person erosion and sediment control trainings, but a couple states offer the training free online. These trainings can be a great introduction to the topic; even if you don’t live in the state the training is based on.
Water Pollution
The EPA provides training on the regulations established under the Clean Water Act that permit discharge of pollutants from point sources into waterways. The training covers who issues these types of permits, known as National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits, what types of permits there are, and what is involved in developing a permit.
Watershed Management
The EPA has created the Watershed Academy Distance Learning Program, which includes a variety of self-paced training modules. These modules cover topics such as watershed ecology, watershed change, watershed planning, watershed monitoring, management practices, restoration, social issues, and water law. Modules take about 0.5 to 2 hours to complete.
Air Quality
The EPA provides a free course on air pollution control programs, the Clean Air Act, the effects of air pollution, ambient air quality monitoring, emission inventories, and indoor air quality.
Environmental Health
Tulane University’s School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine offers a large selection of courses on a variety of environmental health, and other public health, topics. Environmental health courses include hazardous materials and waste, air quality, wastewater, environmental sampling, occupational safety, and environmental health regulations.
Hazardous Waste
The EPA developed training modules on a variety of hazardous waste topics governed under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). Modules include regulatory overview, waste recycling, waste generators, groundwater monitoring, hazardous waste identification, tanks, permits, and more.
Sustainability
The U.S. Green Building Council offers a free training on the basics of green building and their LEED rating system. It covers the role of the U.S. Green Building Council and the LEED program, the goals of the LEED credit categories, green building concepts, and how green building concepts are put into practice.
Climate Science
The Climate Change Resource Center, part of the U.S. Forest Service, offers a climate change science and modeling course. The course covers greenhouse gases, the flow of carbon, climate change impacts by region, the components of climate models, emission scenario storylines, and projected future climate impacts.
Emergency Management
The Federal Emergency Management Agency offers a huge selection of trainings on a variety of emergency management and response topics. Training offered that are most relevant to environmental science and planning include courses on hazardous materials, disaster mitigation, and floodplain management.
GIS (Geographic Information System)
Esri, the developer of the leading GIS program, ArcGIS, has a Learn ArcGIS Discovery Program, which includes 60 days of free software access. The Learn ArcGIS Student Program also gives currently enrolled college students one year of free software access. New User lessons provided by Esri walk users through the basics of ArcGIS and challenge them with training exercises.
Grant Management
The EPA provides an online training course to introduce EPA grant applicants and recipients to aspects of the entire grant life cycle. Modules include applying for a grant, accepting a grant, managing a grant, and closing out a grant.