Luke Nicolle: IEMA Foundation Certificate in Environmental Management

Luke Nicolle, Group Health and Safety Manager for FRF Group, has dedicated his career to ensuring workplace safety across the UK motor dealer's many branches. However, as environmental management became more intertwined with health and safety, he recognised the need to expand his expertise. To bridge this gap, Luke enrolled in the IEMA Foundation Certificate in Environmental Management through Astutis.

What followed was a transformative learning experience that not only expanded his skill set but also had a direct, positive impact on his company’s environmental practices.

Luke’s decision to pursue the IEMA Foundation Certificate through Astutis was influenced by the flexibility offered by our Virtual Learning option. This mode of learning allowed him to participate without having to make significant changes to his work routine.

"I chose the Virtual Learning option because of how convenient it was. I could come into work, sit in my office, and log into the classroom without having to worry about unnecessary travel and arrangements.”

This convenience was vital for Luke, given the demands of his role in a fast-paced industry where time efficiency is critical. Additionally, the course’s online format enabled him to easily integrate learning with his day-to-day responsibilities, particularly since environmental management could potentially become a significant part of his responsibilities in the future.

"In my role, I’m obviously very familiar with the health and safety side of things. But as we’re seeing more and more, environmental management tends to quite often fall within the health and safety manager job description."

This overlap in responsibilities motivated Luke to build his understanding of environmental management to stay ahead of industry demands and ensure FRF Group remained compliant with the latest standards.

The IEMA Foundation Certificate offered Luke an opportunity to apply classroom theory to practical, real-world situations. Specifically, he appreciated how directly relevant the course content was to his day-to-day work.

"The course was directly applicable to me and my industry because there were some things I encountered on nearly a daily basis, such as waste oils.”

In the motor industry, dealing with waste products—whether from vehicle maintenance or washing—is a frequent challenge. For Luke, ensuring the responsible disposal of waste oils and handling fuel drums in compliance with environmental regulations were critical components of his work. The course provided him with insights that helped him better manage these processes and think ahead about potential environmental risks.

"I think the thing that really helped me in my role was understanding localised environmental management because we wash a lot of cars. When people bring their car in for service, they want it nice and shiny when they have it back. So we’ve got wastewater run-off. We also have large fuel drums that are used, and what are we going to do if one of those ruptures?"

By equipping himself with this knowledge, Luke felt more confident in his ability to manage environmental risks, particularly in an industry where managing hazardous substances is a daily concern.

The value of the IEMA Foundation Certificate became apparent almost immediately after Luke completed the course. He quickly identified environmental issues at FRF Group’s premises that might have gone unnoticed had he not taken the training.

"Once I completed the course, there were some notable things that I managed to spot right away. For example, I noticed the previous occupant of a premises we now use had put solar panels on the roof, but they didn't put adequate and sufficient numbers on there."

This discovery led Luke to analyse the sustainability of the solar panels. He realised that they were not providing enough energy to justify their continued use.

"In actual fact, it wasn't really cost-effective for us to continue using them because they needed significant repairs. It wasn’t actually sustainable to continue using them. So we decommissioned them, and I wouldn’t have been able to spot that without the information I’d learnt in the course.”

This real-world application of his learning clearly showcases the tangible benefits of the IEMA Foundation Certificate that can have an impact straight away not only was his experience educational, but also highly engaging.

"Our course tutor was really enthusiastic and engaging on our virtual course. He was very animated and experienced, encouraging us to create a WhatsApp group to discuss topics and help each other. It made the whole experience really cohesive.”

Encouraged by his positive experience, Luke plans to continue his learning journey with Astutis. His next goal is to complete the IEMA Certificate in Environmental Management, a more advanced course that will deepen his knowledge and open more opportunities in the environmental management sector.

"Off the back of the course, I would really love to get into more of the environmental sector or management side of things, and I definitely plan to continue learning with Astutis.”

Through his experience with Astutis, Luke has gained the confidence and knowledge to better navigate the increasingly complex landscape of environmental management, ensuring that both his career and FRF Group’s environmental practices are moving in the right direction.

For more information about the Foundation Certificate in Environmental Management, we encourage you to take a look at the course page below to view our course guide, syllabus and the various learning methods available.