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A
Job To Love
All your life you’ve been very
aware of the natural world. When you
were younger, you were always telling
your friends not to litter and it was
you who taught your family how to recycle.
Now you work for a large tourism lodge
not far from where you grew up. The
owners of the lodge are concerned about
the effects of their business on the
environment and it’s your job to
make sure the surrounding area isn’t
damaged by the lodge's tourism activities.
Every day at work is different. Some
days you’re out measuring snow
levels, and other days you’re in
a seminar room, teaching employees about
how to encourage the guests to recycle.
You love your job because it pays you
for doing what you’ve always done—encouraging
others to consider and protect the environment.
Environmental
co-ordinators work for all sorts
of different companies and organizations
to organize the environmental plans
and activities. This kind of job varies,
so environmental co-ordinators find
themselves working in a number of
situations from day to day—on
their own, in teams, indoors or outdoors.
For example, one day you might spend
a day alone researching and writing
a report on the best type of toilet
to install in a new office building;
the next day you might spend the bulk
of your time outdoors, installing
recycle bins around the building.
Because environmental co-ordinators
are hired by so many different kinds
of organizations, it's often possible
to work in your own community. As
an Aboriginal environmental co-ordinator
you could, for example, manage the
environmental programs for a local
band, including the monitoring, recycling
and educational programs.
While
you may feel very strongly about protecting
the environment, in this job you’ll
meet a lot of people who refuse to
share your passion. You may have difficulty
explaining to others why environmental
programs are necessary. Some people
may even be hostile towards you. But
if you feel strongly enough about
what you’re doing, you’ll
probably see this simply as part of
the challenge.
Job
Description
Environmental co-ordinators develop
and implement environmental programs
for companies and organizations that
are not necessarily environmentally-based
themselves. Co-ordinators are responsible
for overseeing these programs and for
reporting to upper management on their
progress. For example, an environmental
co-ordinator might work for a large
manufacturing company to test nearby
land and water for contaminants and
to ensure that equipment is working
safely. Environmental co-ordinators
work for private companies, government
departments, educational institutions,
research organizations, and consulting
firms. They can also be self-employed.
Job
Duties
- Develop,
apply, and monitor environmental
programs and policies
- Give
advice to senior management about
environmental matters related to
your company’s work
- Train
staff according to these programs
and policies
- Promote
public environmental awareness and
education
- Review
and complete environmental audits
and identify areas for improvement
- Keep
records to make sure an organization
is following environmental laws
- Keep
track of budgets for environmental
programs
Fact
Each year, an estimated five million
tonnes of chloride salts are released
into the Canadian environment as municipalities,
businesses, and homes attempt to keep
roads and sidewalks snow free. These
salts have adverse affects on soil
properties, vegetation, wildlife,
groundwater, aquatic habitats, and
surface water. As a result, they have
been classified as toxic under section
64 (a) and (b) of the Canadian Environmental
Protection Act, 1999.
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High
school courses that will prepare you
for a job as an environmental co-ordinator
include biology, chemistry, calculus,
geometry, physics, geography, earth
sciences, 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 computer
science or communications.
The
minimum educational requirement for
this job is a technical diploma in
an environmental program. A bachelor’s
degree in biology, environmental science,
environmental engineering or a related
field will make you more competitive.
Post-graduate training in environmental
planning, resource management or related
field experience may also be required
and help you negotiate your salary.
Before
entering the workforce, some environmental
co-ordinators require training in:
- First
Aid
- Health
and safety
- Environmental
health
- Emergency
response
Either
a professional biologist designation
or a professional engineering designation
is strongly recommended. To become
accredited in biology or engineering,
you will need at least a four-year
bachelor’s degree.
Look
into specific high school pre-requisites
set by the college or university you
would like to attend.
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Environmental
co-ordinators with a college diploma
make an average of $26,000.00 per
year.
Environmental
co-ordinators with a university degree
make an average of $42,000.00 per
year.
Environmental
co-ordinators with several years of
education and experience make an average
of $78,000.00 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 co-ordinators:
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
Nexen
Inc Awards for Aboriginal Students
Several bursaries of $5,000.00
are awarded to Aboriginal students
at the University of Saskatchewan
studying Business Economics, Public
Administration, Land Use and Environmental
Studies, or Environmental Earth Sciences.
Contact: Charlotte Ross
Office of the Dean
Room 235
Arts Building
9 Campus Drive
College of Arts Science
University of Saskatchewan
Saskatoon, SK
S7N 5A5
Telephone: (306) 966-4754
Fax: (306) 966-8839
email: charlotte.ross@usask.ca
website: www.usask.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. Talk to your Elders to
find out how your community has traditionally
worked to help preserve the environment.
Learn how your community understood
environmental balance. What were the
signs of a healthy environment? Employers
will be impressed by any traditional
knowledge you have learned as well
as what you’ve learned in school.
Relate to people in similar jobs:
- Environmental
engineer
- Green
architect
- Clean
energy researcher
- Environmental
monitor
Relate
and interact with environmental coordinators.
Ask them what they like about their
jobs, and how you should get started.
Sierra Youth Coalition/ Coalition
jeunesse Sierra
Toll-free: (888) 790-7393
website: www.sierrayouthcoalition.org
Canadian
Parks and Wilderness Society / Société
pour la nature et les parcs du Canada
CPAWS National Office
880 Wellington Street
Suite 506
Ottawa, ON
K1R 6K7
Telephone: (800) 333-WILD
email: info@cpaws.org
website: www.cpaws.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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