Product Stewardship Society and Board for Global EHS Credentialing Announce New Credential for Product Stewardship

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Release No. SPR-19-11-12

CONTACT:
Sue Marchese
AIHA Communications
(703) 846-0742;

FALLS CHURCH, Va. (November 12, 2019) —The Board for Global EHS Credentialing® and the Product Stewardship Society® are pleased to announce the collaborative development of a new product stewardship credential: Certified Professional Product Steward™ (CPPS™). CPPS™, the first credential of its kind, will provide product stewardship professionals with an opportunity to distinguish their expertise and build professional credibility within their organizations.

Product stewardship is the responsible management of the health, safety, and environmental aspects of raw materials, intermediate, and consumer products throughout their life cycle and across the value chain in order to prevent or minimize negative impacts and maximize value. This new credential will establish a common framework to define the rapidly growing and dynamic profession of product stewardship and provide product stewards the opportunity to demonstrate their professional competence.

“We are very excited to announce this new standard of excellence for the product stewardship profession. This BGC credential will distinguish professionals as qualified experts in product stewardship, will make their resumes stand out among their peers, and will provide them with an avenue to be more successful in their careers,” noted BGC Chair Dirk Yamamoto.

The pathway to the new CPPS credential consists of rigorous education and experience requirements, along with passing an exam. The first CPPS exam window will take place in mid-2020. The CPPS application will be free of charge for the first year’s applicants. To be eligible for the CPPS exam, candidates must have a Bachelor of Science degree from a regionally accredited college or university and to demonstrate at least four years of experience during which at least 50% of their responsibilities were directly related to product stewardship. Upon passing the exam, candidates will be awarded the CPPS credential, which will be valid for five years.

“We are proud to be part of the credentialing project. The Society is keenly aware that having a credential validates both the field and the professional awarded it. Providing educational and professional development opportunities for product stewards looking to leverage their expertise by securing the credential is both personally rewarding and professionally smart. One of the Society’s key goals is to further the career opportunities of product stewardship professionals. Building on the work of Kate Sellers, past president of the PSS, and working together with BGC and AIHA for the CPPS™ credential brings us a step closer to achieving that mission,” said PSS President Lynn L. Bergeson.

The Product Stewardship Society, founded by the American Industrial Hygiene Association® in 2012, will provide the educational resources and professional development opportunities, including exam preparation for CPPS credential candidates.

“As president of AIHA and a product steward myself, I believe this credential is game-changing. Product stewards will have a distinct metric against which to assess their professional abilities and expertise in this fast-growing field,” said AIHA President Kathy Murphy.

More information on the requirements for applying for the Certified Professional Product Steward credential will be available on BGC’s website in January 2020.

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About the Product Stewardship Society

Founded in 2012, the Product Stewardship Society® is the professional organization exclusively for product stewardship professionals. We enable professionals to promote responsible design, development, and management of products throughout their life cycle. The Product Stewardship Society® is an affiliate of AIHA®. For more information, visit www.productstewards.org.

About the Board for Global EHS Credentialing

Originally founded in 1960 as the American Board of Industrial Hygiene, the BGC mission is to be the leader in offering credentials that elevate the technical and ethical standards for professionals practicing the science of protecting, managing, and enhancing the health and safety of people and the environment. BGC’s credentialing divisions offer the Certified Industrial Hygienist® credential, Qualified Environmental Professional® credential, Environmental Professional In-Training® designation, and Certified Professional Product Steward™ credential.
Currently, more than 7,600 people around the world hold the CIH credential, QEP credential, or EPI designation. To learn more about a BGC credential or designation, please visit www.EHSCredentialing.org.

About AIHA

Founded in 1939, AIHA is a nonprofit organization serving professionals dedicated to the anticipation, recognition, evaluation, control, and confirmation of environmental stressors in or arising from the workplace that may result in injury, illness, or impairment, or affect the well-being of workers and members of the community. AIHA provides comprehensive education programs and other products and services that help its members maintain the highest professional standards.
More than half of AIHA’s nearly 8,500 members are Certified Industrial Hygienists, and many hold other professional designations. AIHA serves as a resource for those employed in the industrial, consulting, academic, and government sectors. For more information, please visit www.aiha.org.