Alan Unwin
Dean of Business and Environment, Niagara College
Christopher Treschak
Associate Dean, Niagara College
Niagara College offers a selection of innovative programs in horticulture and environment that lead to increasingly important jobs.
As the world faces the impacts of a changing climate, it’s become clear that sustainable practices must be adopted by every sector.
The environmental job market is growing rapidly as more specialized experts are required. Companies, governing bodies, and organizations will need professionals who can help them make these significant shifts. Jobs in environmental site assessment, corporate greening, waste management, and pollution prevention are only going to get more popular. Canada’s food industry provides an excellent current example — answering the societal call for greener groceries, there’s a higher demand for locally-grown options.
Niagara College has noticed these trends. Its School of Environment and Horticulture gives students a chance to work towards a sustainable future. Along with responding to the demand for horticulturalists, NC’s programming covers many other unique areas of study.
Building a better tomorrow
“We work hand-in-hand with industries to ensure we’re delivering the most relevant, job-ready curriculum to our students,” said Christopher Treschak, Associate Dean. “The goal is employability. Our programs, co-ops, and placements reflect that.”
NC students can create ecologically healthy relationships with nature, work with Geographic Information Systems, or preserve water supplies and wetlands. They can focus on sustainable growing and biodiversity protection, learn eco-friendly, compelling landscaping techniques, or even enroll in Commercial Beekeeping – a specialized program that is meeting the need for pollination services nationally and internationally.
“We offer a hands-on educational approach,” said Alan Unwin, Dean of Business and Environment. “Students work on real projects within their industry, so they graduate with a portfolio already.”
NC’s Environmental Technician – Field and Laboratory Co-op program is popular with scientifically-inclined problem solvers. A mix of hands-on data collection and in-lab analysis, graduates have ample career opportunities, including working as water treatment operators and analytical chemistry technicians.
Living lab campus
A graduate program to note is Environmental Management and Assessment. The first of its kind in Canada, students attain marketable skills and experiences that make them qualified for many critical jobs, including corporate carbon management, environmental assessment and risk analysis, and much more.
A unique option for those who may want to become wildlife biologists or ecological restoration practitioners is the Ecosystem Restoration program. “It’s a boots-on, in-field experience,” said Treschak, as he referred to the College’s impressive 125-acre Daniel J. Patterson Campus in Niagara-on-the-Lake. “Our students get to practice right in their own backyard.”
The campus is a UNESCO-designated World Biosphere Reserve with its own orchard, vineyard, trails, and restored lagoon and wetland – all developed and maintained by students.
“We’re equipping our students to handle the massive environmental issues facing our planet,” said Unwin. “They’re forward thinkers who want to be part of the sustainability solution, and they go on to have meaningful careers.”
To learn more and apply today, visit niagaracollege.ca.
