Soil scientist : Training

Training is generally on the job. The training provided or encouraged by employers tends to be project-specific or to meet the needs of the organisation. As with most professions, emphasis is placed on continuing professional and personal development (CPD), with opportunities often available to expand skills and knowledge through various means: attending in-house staff development courses; studying for partially or fully subsidised further qualifications; or attending conferences, external courses and workshops.

Membership of professional soil science bodies, such as The Institute of Professional Soil Scientists (IPSS)  or the British Society of Soil Science (BSSS) , opens up opportunities to attend regional meetings and participate in special interest groups.

In addition to specialist soil science expertise, soil scientists need to be good at teamwork, communication, presentation, report-writing, time management and IT. You may have had training in these skills at university, but soil scientists are expected to maintain them throughout their career.

Soil science is a diverse field and there are a vast number of industry-recognised qualifications in fields such as engineering, surveying, geology, chemistry and environmental science.