2.6.3. TWH Workforce Development Roundtable

Another key accomplishment in 2017 was the Office for TWH's collaboration with the University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill and Harvard University to convene a roundtable discussion with partners from the NIOSH-funded Centers of Excellence for TWH, ERCs, organized labor, NIOSH-funded OSH training institutions, state health departments, professional societies, workplace-wellness training vendors, and other experts in the field. The roundtable discussion explored training that could be incorporated into existing core OSH degree programs such as occupational health nursing, occupational medicine, and industrial hygiene. The focus of the roundtable was to identify the highest priority audiences; perform needs assessments; identify competencies for TWH; and suggest effective training approaches and programs (certificate, continuing education, and others). Key findings and recommendations from a 2017 report by the University of Colorado (Uncovering Training Needs for *Total Worker Health*® Professionals: Results of a National Continuing Education Survey [unpublished data]) were also reviewed at the meeting and influenced future directions. Of individuals working within the OSH and peripheral fields (human resources, benefits, wellness), survey results found that 2.8% indicated TWH as their primary profession, 14% indicated TWH as a secondary work task, and 75% identified a need for basic and advanced TWH training (*n* = 1501).
