Image Credit: Getty Images / XiXinXing

In 2011, a NIOSH-commissioned report predicted that future demand for OEHS professionals would far exceed the number of individuals with the appropriate training, education, and experience. This problem has been a matter of discussion ever since. At AIHA, we’ve been engaged with what we call “pipeline development”—the creation of a sustainable OEHS workforce and a steady source of members. These efforts have included our Professional Pathway initiative; outreach to secondary schools, high schools, and universities; the training of technicians; collaborations with other associations; and marketing campaigns such as AIHA Heroes, which gathers members’ stories to expand the public’s understanding of OEHS and industrial hygiene. Pipeline development is also a key feature of our current strategic plan.  

One way to develop the pipeline is to funnel more students into OEHS and industrial hygiene academic programs. Sources of potential students for these programs are other degree programs in related fields. For example, not every undergraduate biology major who dreams of a medical career will even go to medical school, let alone become a doctor. For these students, an OEHS degree sets them on a career path toward a very good starting salary doing important science that makes a difference in people’s lives, without the heavy debt and exhausting residencies that burden young doctors. And pre-med students aren’t the only ones who may be predisposed to an OEHS career. Others include students pursuing degrees in global health, environmental studies, toxicology, health science, mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, psychology, and even geology.

What about the students already in OEHS programs? As I wrote previously on SynergistNOW, we need to know more about these students’ career plans and how AIHA can help them achieve their goals. To that end, staff held an illuminating focus group with students at AIHA Connect 2026 in New Orleans. Almost all the participants spoke about the importance of mentorship and community; many expressed interest in connecting with other students. These conversations are evidence that, contrary to stereotype, younger people are seeking more face-to-face engagement. Staff are looking into ways AIHA can facilitate these connections. It was also clear that AIHA needs to put more energy into helping students and other new members understand the benefits we offer.  

And it’s crucial for AIHA to strengthen relationships with existing OEHS programs, the standard-bearers for the profession at the university level. In recent years, these programs have experienced tremendous upheaval from attempts to eliminate NIOSH, their main source of funding, and reorganizations that have shuffled them into different schools or departments within their university. These stressors have exacerbated what was already an intensely competitive environment.

Responding to these and other changes in the academic landscape, four OEHS programs at universities in Utah have banded together to raise awareness of opportunities in the OEHS field. Brigham Young University, the University of Utah, Utah State University, and Weber State University are longtime rivals, yet their OEHS programs are collaborating to raise awareness about OEHS degrees. You can read more about their efforts in The Synergist. With this initiative as inspiration, AIHA plans to build an “awareness hub” for OEHS programs on our website. The goal will be to draw attention to all institutions offering degrees in our field. Our ongoing website redesign will make these and other materials more discoverable through AI-assisted search engines and more likely to appear in content generated by AI tools.

We are also continuing outreach efforts to students in secondary schools, especially as they’re making decisions about college. Next year, AIHA will have a presence at select college fairs held by the National Association for College Admission Counseling, events that attract thousands of students.  

Ultimately, developing the OEHS pipeline requires determined, long-term engagement and careful planning—as well as feedback. What recommendations do you have for bringing more students and young professionals into OEHS?