Learn To Protect The Environment Through Centennial College’s Environmental Program
Environmental protection is the practice of protecting the environment, as the pressures of population and our technology are causing the biophysical environment to be degraded, sometimes permanently. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job outlook for environmental technicians is excellent. This occupation is projected to expand faster, through 2018, than other occupations that require post-secondary training or an associate degree. Post-secondary institutions now offer courses such as environmental studies, environmental management, environmental protection technician and environmental engineering that include study of the history and methods of environmental protection.
One such school is Centennial College in Toronto, Ontario, with its two-year Environmental Protection Technician offering. If you’re interesting in applying for this environmental program, you must present at minimum an Ontario Secondary School Diploma or equivalent or be 19 years of age or older. You also need to possess compulsory English 12C or U or skills assessment, or equivalent and Math 11M or U, or 12C or U or skills assessment, or equivalent.
The Environmental Protection Technician program provides practical training in the three foundation disciplines of biology, chemistry and civil engineering. This unique combination of technical skills will greatly increase your career options. You’ll also learn to work with the tools and equipment that professionals use in the field and participate in laboratory practice in water quality testing, groundwater movement and the chemistry of pollutants.
Like other environmental programs, specific courses within this program include: Intro to Biological Systems (students study various levels of complexity in living organisms from the molecular level to the whole organism and the relationship to physical and chemical science), Microbial Techniques (students work individually and in pairs to perform safe, up-to-date methods to identify microorganisms), Organic Chemistry (an introduction to the theoretical and practical application of organic chemistry), Water Control Quality (outlines the characteristics of raw water and waste water, how water supply systems work, sources of supply, methods of treatment, alternative sources of water and methods of distribution) and much more.
Upon graduation, you’ll be qualified to write the Ontario Ministry of the Environment Water Quality Analyst exam. There are also other exciting benefits to the Environmental Protection Technician program, such as its accreditations, which you can check out by viewing the benefits page.
As a technician, you will be responsible for performing laboratory and field tests to analyze environmental resources and determine the contaminants that are causing pollution. You will also take samples for testing and generally have a hand in reducing or managing the causes of pollution. In order to pursue this field of work you should have good organizational, analytic thinking, communication and interpersonal skills. You must be well versed in using computers, particularly in computer modeling.