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A
Job to Love
A small company in your community has
been conducting air and water quality
tests for years. Now that Canada has
agreed to the Kyoto Protocol, this company
is also hoping to become the local experts
on monitoring climate change. In the
order to become experts, however, the
company’s employees need training
on the latest techniques and technologies.
You’ve been hired to design a training
program around this information, and
then run a series of workshops to teach
it. After months of designing the workshop
and materials, you’re confident
in the high quality of the program,
and you walk into the first day of workshops
feeling very excited.
Environmental
trainers teach people about environmentally
friendly practices and technologies.
They work mostly indoors, preparing
presentations and teaching in seminar
rooms and company production areas.
They mainly work on their own developing
training programs. Aboriginal environmental
trainers often work where they grew
up, helping people develop new job
skills and teaching environmental
practices to benefit the whole community.
Environmental
trainers are often very busy, and
they are constantly upgrading their
skills to stay on top of frequent
changes in technology. This fast pace
can be difficult, especially when
most of an environmental trainer’s
work is short-term and there can be
a lack of job security. Of course,
some people work best under this kind
of pressure. Still, it’s hard
to do your best work if the people
taking your class don’t want
to be there and make the training
difficult. All in all, environmental
training can be a very challenging
job, but an extremely rewarding one.
Effective trainers are able to help
people develop better skills and practices,
which ultimately helps to protect
the environment.
Job
Description
Environmental trainers develop training
programs and then use the programs to
teach workshops and seminars. For example,
an environmental trainer might develop
an avalanche safety and survival class
and then teach it to a company’s
ecotourism guides. Trainers play an
important role in making sure that environmental
workers are up-to-date on the latest
technologies and practices. Many universities
and government departments hire their
own environmental trainers. Some trainers
are self-employed and others work for
private firms.
Job
Duties
- Figure
out why your clients need a particular
training program
- Change
your existing program(s) to suit
customer needs
- Plan
your presentation style (workshop,
seminar, etc.) around client needs,
preferences, and resources
- Develop
course materials
- Write
and design presentations and handouts
- Co-ordinate
and teach at educational institutions,
private firms, and organizations
- Help
students with materials and career
decisions
- Evaluate
training results and prepare reports
- Serve
on committees concerned with matters
such as budgets, curriculum revision,
and course and diploma requirements
Fact
In December 2003, over 1700 programs
taught by environmental trainers were
listed in the Professional Development
Centre of the Canadian Council for
Human Resources in the Environment
Industry (www.cchrei.ca/pdc).
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High
school courses that will prepare for
this job include biology, chemistry,
geography, calculus, physics, and English.
Aboriginal studies, history, and languages
will prepare you for working in a multi-cultural
setting. Talk to your career or academic
counsellor about options such as business
and computers.
The minimum requirement for this occupation
is a diploma in instructor training.
A bachelor’s degree in environmental
sciences, human resources, adult education,
public speaking or a business-related
field is an asset. To qualify as a
private trainer, you’ll need
a master’s degree and several
years of experience, including group
facilitation. A master’s degree
will make you more competitive and
you’ll find it easier to get
a job and negotiate your salary.
Before entering the workforce, some
environmental trainers may require
training in:
- Adult
education
- Continuing
education
- Instructional
aids and equipment
- Computers
For
instructors of trades, completion
of apprenticeship training and trade
certification are required.
Look
into specific high school pre-requisites
set by the college or university you
would like to attend.
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Environmental
trainers with a college diploma make
an average of $32,000.00 per year.
Environmental
trainers with a university degree
make an average of $54,000.00 per
year.
Environmental
trainers with several years of experience
and education make an average of $92,000.00
per year.
Financial Assistance
In addition to the general scholarship
tips listed in the BUILD MY CAREER
section, the following awards are
specific to environmental trainers:
Suncor Energy Foundation “Shared
Achievements” Aboriginal Scholarships
These scholarships were created to
assist Aboriginal students who are
pursuing post-secondary education
in business, teaching, and science—particularly
engineering, earth sciences, natural
resource management, environmental
studies, and computer science.
Contact: National Aboriginal
Achievement Foundation
70 Yorkville Avenue
Suite 33A
Toronto
Ontario M5R 1B9
Telephone: (416) 926-0775
Fax: (416) 926-7554
email: naaf@istar.ca
website: www.naaf.ca
CASTS
Scholarships
Awarded to Canadian Aboriginal students
studying science.
Contact: CASTS Scholarship
Committee
Treaty 7 Tribal Council
Suite 310, 6940 Fisher Road SE
Calgary, AB
T2H 0W3
Telephone: (403) 258-1775
Fax: (403) 258-1811
email: casts@mail1.treaty7.org
website: www.casts.ca
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Some
of the best knowledge you’ll
gain for this job will come from listening
to the stories and wisdom of your
relations. As an environmental trainer,
much of your job will involve teaching
and passing on knowledge to others.
Talk to your Elders about how they
work in harmony with nature to preserve
the environment. Learn how your Elders
passed on knowledge through the generations,
and think about how their methods
will help you teach others.
Relate to people in similar jobs:
- University
professor
- High
school science teacher
- Ecotourism
guide
- Science
camp co-ordinator
Relate
and interact with environmental trainers.
Ask them what they like about their
job and how you should get started.
Canadian Network for Environmental
Education and Communication / Réseau
Canadien d’éducation et
de communication relatives à
l’environnement
Station B
PO Box 948
Ottawa, ON
K1P 5P9
website: www.eecom.org
Centre
canadien d’hygiène et
de sécurité au travail
(CCHST)
website: www.cchst.ca
Canadian
Centre for Occupational Health and
Safety (CCOHS)
website: www.ccohs.ca
The
Canadian Environmental Network / Le
Réseau canadien de l’environnement
300-945 Wellington Street
Ottawa, ON
K1Y 2X5
Telephone: (613) 728-9810
Fax: (613) 728-2963
website: www.cen-rce.org
Relate to other students. Most universities
have Aboriginal student associations
and resource centres. Visit these
centres to find out what they have
to offer. Also look into community
centres, friendship centres, and multi-cultural
centres.
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