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Sean was presented with a special award at Furness College, where he gained both his B.Eng Mechanical Engineering degree and NEBOSH Certificate. Furness training, the Business Development arm of Furness College, is accredited to run a suite of NEBOSH courses which it provides for the South Lakes and Furness area.  As well as providing the NEBOSH National General Certificate, Furness College has also recently started running the NEBOSH National Diploma in Occupational Health & Safety, which can be studied as a full or unit-based qualification.

NEBOSH qualifications are the most sought after by employers in the UK for health and safety jobs. Two thirds of job adverts for health and safety manager roles specify at least one NEBOSH qualification, with well over a third demanding a NEBOSH National General Certificate (1).

But like Sean, not all people who hold a NEBOSH Certificate are employed primarily in health and safety roles. In fact, over 81% (2) of those who achieve the qualification have different kind of jobs altogether. As Sean Minnican explained, often a NEBOSH qualification can demonstrate people have an extra string to their bow. Sean said. “As soon as I put NEBOSH on my CV I was offered four different positions straightaway. Now I’m forever getting phone calls and emails asking me to apply for jobs. My NEBOSH Certificate has certainly opened doors for me.”

NEBOSH Chief Executive, Teresa Budworth added: “Health and safety is an important skill in all modern workplaces. People who manage safety and control risks effectively protect their employer from prosecution, a damaged reputation and significant costs. “Importantly they also know the correct way to protect lives and prevent unnecessary injuries at work, and don’t make the kind of silly and unwarranted decisions that can give health and safety a bad name.”

150,000 is a lot of people. It is the same as the population of Oxford, or enough people to fill Manchester United’s Old Trafford stadium twice over. Sean Minnican was surprised to learn he was the 150,000th successful NEBOSH National General Certificate candidate. “It just shows how much good health and safety knowledge there is out there,” he told us. “It’s not like it’s a throwaway two day course where you’re given a certificate for attending. You have to study hard and take exams and assessments to gain your NEBOSH Certificate. As a mechanical engineer, it’s something I’m proud to hold.”