Environmental workforce continues to increase
Algoma University in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., is uniquely positioned to offer its environmental science and biology programs for several reasons, says an associate professor who teaches in both offerings.
“We are a great place to take environmental science because of the interaction between humanity, industry and nature that we have at our doorstep,” says Brandon Schamp. “And given our smaller size, students in both programs are not just reading about science but learning how to do science and feel like scientists at the end of their program.”
While subject matter in the programs differs, Schamp says there is some overlap in terms of both introducing students to a breadth of subjects while ensuring critical thinking, scientific inquiry and methodology are main components. The programs also share courses such as biology, chemistry and an honours thesis elective option.
“Many of our courses in both biology and environmental science have a lab section each week, as opposed to the larger schools that have to accommodate more students, which doesn’t allow for as much hands-on learning,” Schamp says. “Students also gravitate to the honours thesis because it is a further opportunity to do science by working with a faculty supervisor to complete an independent research project that may be published.”
Another shared commonality is that both programs allow students to take their learning beyond the classroom and interact with industry through an internship experience that is mandatory in environmental science and optional in biology.
Biology graduates, says Schamp, most often use their degree as a pathway to further education in areas of study such as medicine, dentistry, optometry, physiotherapy and nursing. Environmental science graduates, meanwhile, can find employment in a wide spectrum of jobs. According to ECO Canada’s 2013 Labour Market Research Study, the country’s environmental workforce continues to increase and has increased tenfold since 1993.