Inclusive

All stakeholders have a say in how OHTA works

We promote an equal partnership between employers, education and training providers, and professional associations.  Whilst we are a not-for-profit organization, we recognise the need for a sustainable business model so that partners can get a return on their investment:  we allow our materials to be used for commercial training purposes and we permit approved training providers to promote their courses through OHLearning.com.

Straightforward

We want to encourage students to become hygienists and gain professional OH qualifications

We achieve this by making it easy for students to climb the qualifications’ ladder and by trying not to put obstacles in their way

• First, by helping students to find training providers and courses on offer in their region
• Second, by providing links to the national associations and promoting these interfaces with the hygiene community

We keep administration to an absolute minimum to discourage bureaucratic barriers.  Wherever possible we draw on the resources of partner organisations and the hygiene community to avoid duplicating systems.

Transparent

Everyone should be able to see how OHTA works: no secrets, no surprises

Hence we:

• Make the syllabus and training materials freely available to all
• Promote a climate of trust and professional integrity. For example, we ask training providers to oversee practical exams
• Solicit constant feedback from all stakeholders to ensure accountability and as a spur for continuous improvement.
• Post a list of qualification holders for added recognition and as a marker for excellence.

Accessible

We want OH training to be accessible to all and reach out to the widest OH community possible

We try to keep costs down by providing free access to training materials and minimising our administrative overheads.  OHTA employs no paid staff.  Our work is voluntary and offered by individuals or supporter organisations.

Engaging

Our vision for OHLearning.com is much more than just a passive repository for training materials

The website will become a collaborative forum for the global occupational hygiene community where hygienists can interact through:

• Online feedback and discussion about the courses so that the training materials are regularly updated and incrementally improved
• Opportunities to upload supplemental training resources for hygiene trainers.  We encourage hygienists to contribute case studies, photographs, videos and other materials for pre-learning or continuing professional development. This can include specialist subject resources and country-specific courses.
• Suggesting ideas for new courses relevant to the continuing development and advancement of the occupational hygiene profession.