Keeping the education field ahead of the curve on careers in the environmental technology field, ATEEC recently released an updated version of the Defining Environmental Technology report.

This report, first produced in 1996 and last updated in 2008, lists the occupational categories, titles, and functions in the Environmental Technology field as defined by a panel of industry experts.

Changes in the 2014 edition include the expansion of water-related occupational categories and the confirmation of sustainability as a full-fledged occupational category. (It had been identified as an “emerging occupational field” in the 2008 edition.)

These changes reflect the ongoing integration of business and environmental concern.

ATEEC collaborated with the Partnership for Environmental Technology Education (www.nationalpete.org) to select the highly qualified panel of 20 business, industry, and government agency representatives, as well as two- and four- year college environmental technology educators.

These experts participated in a two-day forum defining the environmental technology field as it relates to the two-year technician level.

A primary purpose of this report is to enhance counselor, teacher, and student awareness of environmental careers at the technician level.

This report also contributes to addressing the workforce development needs of business, industry, and government by providing educators with information needed to develop relevant curriculum that prepares students for environmental technology careers.

Defining Environmental Technology can be downloaded for free at https://ateec.org/defining-environmental-tech-report/.