Ed Van Osch is the principal Environmental Trainer for VOI Training Group. He is the author and Instructional Trainer for the very popular Environmental Monitoring for Construction Projects Practitioner (EMCPP™) Certificate and Erosion and Sediment Control Practitioner (ESCP™) Certificate courses. Since its' development in 2004, Ed has presented the Environmental Monitoring for Construction Projects course over 150 times to more than 3,000 participants at locations across Canada. Similarly, since 2005, Ed has instructed Erosion and Sediment Control more than 200 times to over 3,500 participants. He is also the author and Primary Instructor for the Erosion and Sediment Control - Planning and Design (ESCD1™) and Environmental Field Procedures for Works In and About Water Practitioner (EFPP™) Certificate training courses.

Prior to and during his career as an Environmental and Natural Resources Instructional Trainer, Ed owned and managed an environmental consulting company specializing in environmental monitoring, erosion and sediment control, and planning and design for works in and about water on a range of infrastructure projects including highways, resource access roads, bridges, pipelines, telecommunications, and residential and commercial developments.   

Ed has a Bachelor of Environmental Studies (BES) degree from the University of Waterloo and a Masters of Natural Resources Management (MRM) degree from Simon Fraser University. He is a Certified Professional in Erosion and Sediment Control (CPESC) since 2002.

Some testimonials from Erosion and Sediment Control Practitioner (ESCP™) training include:

• What a great course, I thoroughly enjoyed your instruction and the fact that you actually care about the subject…..I am still thinking about the course. J.B., Ministry of Transportation Ontario, North Bay, ON

• Well presented course.  Course instructor was knowledgeable, entertaining and approachable.  Good mix of lecture and hands on exercises.     L.S., Ministry of Transportation Ontario, Kingston, ON

• Thank you Ed. I truly enjoyed the course and appreciate you being such a fantastic instructor.  Of all the courses I’ve taken in my career, this one was by far my favourite – I learned so much and it is directly applicable to my job.  It’s not a course I am walking away from and forgetting about.     B.P., AECOM, Toronto, ON 

• I can safely say one of the most relevant and well put together courses I have taken in quite some time.  Your depth of knowledge on the subject was impressive.  Your enthusiasm for the field was refreshing.     B.P., Ministry of Transportation Ontario, Kingston, ON

• Those who say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks has never taken your course! I enjoyed getting out and gaining an appreciation for how much work is involved, but also gave me a physical sense of how the materials and practices perform.     J.G., Ministry of Transportation Ontario, North Bay, ON

• VOI Training Group's ESCP™ course is absolutely top-notch. Course structure is excellent; the 2-day field portion allowed for more than just a few demos, but for some real work to be done by participants. The variety of materials on hand is a strong feature of the field days, especially for students who've not handled nor seen them before. The course manual is a valuable go-to in the field. Working in the field with crews and equipment, I feel this course is an outstanding course for new and more experienced professionals.   S.K., Vanderhoof, BC

• This course changed the way I look at things and my attitude in general. On the way going home from the course, I was like a person seeing things for the first time.     R.J.; Miller Group, North Bay, ON

• Thank you Ed. I enjoyed the course. It was refreshingly different, with all the hands on work. Good to hear your perspective on things. We have work to do!    D.J., Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal, Dartmouth, NS

• "Thank you for putting together such a great training course. As a fairly new employee with ...., I found your course to be very informative. As a member of a design team I am now going to be able to provide more input for our Project Managers in regards to erosion and sediment control on our projects". A.H., Ministry of Transportation Ontario, London, ON.

• Really enjoyed the course – good ideas and clarification of ‘what not to do’s!’.  Liked the hands on approach – we will definitely be changing some poor methods currently being deployed with some of our clients!!   D.H., Kamloops. BC

• "….thank you again for the fantastic course! I may have overwhelmed my crew with ideas this morning!"   K.W., City of Kamloops, Kamloops, BC.

• "Material was presented with real-world experiences and examples. Come back more often!"   B.W., Saskatchewan Water Security Agency, Saskatoon, SK

• "...practical information and hands-on experience with materials and procedures. Ed's knowledge and experience are top-notch. He is an excellent instructor that gives interesting examples and is also realistic about the applications in the field/worksites. Thanks for the great course".   C.J., Vancouver, BC. 

• "I like that the material was presented in a clear and practical manner. The techniques discussed can actually be used in the field." K.C., Golder, Saskatoon, SK

• "Thanks a lot, I learned a lot, really had fun, made me look at sediment fence in a whole new light! If you ever need a hand in this neck of the woods just let me know! " P.Q., Ministry of Transportation Ontario, London, ON.

Some testimonials from Environmental Monitoring for Construction Projects Practitioner (EMCPP™) training include:

• “Thank you very much for presenting such a well organized and informative course! This course provided a wholistic understanding of the role of an Environmental Monitor on Construction Projects and I am delighted to have the manual to refer back to”. A.S., Defense Construction Canada, Victoria, BC

• "The course was great! Practical applications or field exercises are always nice. This course is super applicable to non-environmental monitors. Market the course to project managers, engineers, etc.". M.S., Parks Canada, Banff, AB

• “Thanks, Environmental Monitoring for Construction Projects Practitioner (EMCPP™) is one of the best courses I have taken. By the way it takes a special teacher to keep me awake in a classroom and Ed succeeded.” M.B., Fort St. John, BC

• Thoroughly enjoyed the course ...every moment of it. I can't say that about many courses I have taken. R.T., AMEC Foster Wheeler, Burnaby, BC.

• "It was very good course, interesting and very informative. You are an awesome facilitator. I enjoyed my experience taking your course". G.B., DWB Consulting, Prince George, BC

• "Thank you, I got a lot out of (the course). Glad you also provided us with the informative manual to refer to later on down the road". R.Z., BC Hydro, Prince George, BC.

• "….clearly and concisely defined the who, why, how, what of an environmental monitor. Outstanding course."   D.W., Stantec, Saskatoon, SK.

• "Course was extremely practical. The variety of material that was covered in depth was exceptional. Ed’s experience in the field was clearly communicated and invaluable".   A.S., Parks Canada, Fort Simpson, NT.

• I can't thank you enough for the insight and preparation I received through your course.  My monitoring job went south 4 days ago ...... having a better understanding about the roles each person should be playing and an introduction to creek site isolation helped me stay calm...".   B.L, Fort St. John, BC.  

• "…informative , logical explanations and examples that helped me relate to my own expectations".   J.N., Saskatoon, SK.

Some testimonials from Environmental Field Procedures for Works In and About Water Practitioner (EFPP™) Certificate training include:

• "I feel better equipped now to visit sites and know more specifically what I should be looking for and what options may work better".  B.M., Parks Canada, Banff, AB

• "Very informative and interactive course. Applicable information with hands-on exercises".   J.Z., Vancouver, BC

Some testimonials from Erosion and Sediment Control - Planning and Design (ESCD1™) Certificate training include:

• "I wanted to say how much I enjoyed the course of yours. I learned an immense amount and it was a pleasure to take the course as well. Quite often these industry training courses are drab and long and you made it very interesting and fun". A.B., St. John's, NL

• "Thank you once again for providing such an informative and practical course. I can tell you are very passionate about ESC". A.Z., Manitoba Hydro, Winnipeg, MB.