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The Education & Training feature provides information and resources for Academia (Students, Educational Facilities, and Training Institutes), Research & Development Institutions and the Environmental Consulting Industry. Appropriate Education and Training should meet industry needs and develop the future pool of human resources for the environmental industry.

"The environment industry is one of the fastest growing sectors of the Canadian economy. As an environmental practitioner working in this evolving industry, you are looking for training to enhance your skill set, interesting work with progressive environmental companies, and recognition for your skills and knowledge. Environmental employers recognize that their organization’s success is dependent upon having a top-quality staff. With growing labour shortages and increased competition for people, it is critical that Canadian environmental companies have human resource management strategies that help them recruit and retain the best employees." (ECO Canada Web site)

According to ECO Canada's 2004 Environment Labour Market (ELM) Report: the Canadian Environmental workforce employed some 251,000 people, with a growth rate of 13.7% since the 2000 ELM Report. Environmental practitioners are the backbone of the environmental workforce and the sector itself. They comprise 66% of the environmental workforce and their numbers have experienced tremendous growth since the 102,000 individuals documented in 2000. The number of environmental practitioners has increased to 166,000, a growth rate of 63%. Furthermore, organizational growth has spurred the expansion of the Canadian environment sector with the increase of 550 organizations to 10,100 from the 9,550 documented in 2000.

How can Academia meet the demand for trained environmental practitioners?

Seneca College of Applied Arts & Technology has several applied degree programs and diploma programs within the Centre for the Built Environment (http://cbe.senecac.on.ca/) that provides a foundation for applied urban sustainability. The Centre for the Built Environment is a leading academic institution that educates engineering technicians, technologists and others in technical fields to apply strategies for urban sustainability in green buildings, brownfield remediation, environmental management systems, and built/natural environment restoration. The Centre is taking part in the important effort to align government, public and private stakeholders in supporting brownfield redevelopment strategy and sharing experiences and resources in this emerging area of environmental care taking.

Seneca's Centre for the Built Environment has long been an educational leader in applied urban sustainability, with programs that address the growing impact human activity has on the environment. The Centre's Urban Sustainability education - in which the economic performance of urban regions is aligned with environmental stewardship - ensures graduates are aware of ways to mitigate the environmental implications of their actions as skilled workers pursuing an organization's economic success.

The Centre, which specializes in applied urban sustainability, incorporates the following programs:

1. Bachelor of Applied Technology in Integrated Environmental Site Remediation
   This applied program in the first of its kind, and it addresses the need for people trained in scientific assessment, property evaluation and restoration strategies for returning contaminated sites to a useable state. This 4-year Diploma Program provides education and training in the areas of scientific analysis, property assessment, remediation, and redevelopment of contaminated sites. Graduates will have obtained a variety of academic and practical skills for immediate application in the workforce. They will be positioned to enter the fields of brownfield regeneration, which encompasses the clean up of polluted urban sites and their reintegration with new uses in the urban fabric. Click here for further details.
   
   The Integrated Environmental Site Remediation (IESR) course can be supported with Seneca College's Green Scholarships program. Industry is encouraged to support the Green Scholarships - please inquire with Senecal College on details.
   
   
2. Building Systems Engineering Technology
   
   
3. Environmental Technology
   
   
4. Civil Engineering Technology
   
   
5. Natural Resources Canada - Federal Buildings Initiative Partnership
   
   
6. Joint-Degree-Diploma Program in Urban Sustainability
   
   
7. Fire Protection Technology - Sprinkler Design
   
   
8. Smart City Research Centre incorporating the Ecological Building Systems Lab
   
   
9. Building Environmental Systems
   

"Technologist, technicians, and tradesperson are the life-cycle guarantors of applied urban sustainability. They are critical contributors to the broader public conversation about the future of urban areas. Through the attention to the life cycle features of buildings, communities and other aspects of the human built world, they play a crucial role in ensuring fresh water, clean air, energy efficiency and appropriate use of materials. We invite yo to join the Seneca Sustainability Partnership in creating a a sustainable future as we provide: Solutions oriented applied research; Development delivery of high quality, market transforming education and training services; and Practical and client-centered advisory services." Bill Humber, Chair of the Centre for the Built Environment (Seneca College)