By Jessica Reynen, College Canada
Summer 2010
In 1992 ECO Canada (Environmental Careers Organization) and the ACCC (Association of Canadian Community Colleges) came together as a result of their shared ambition to develop a competent workforce that would protect and restore the environment.
Over the past 18 years ECO Canada has worked with partners such as the ACCC to establish itself as the national, industry- led organization built to resolve human resource issues faced by the Canadian environmental sector. So far the organization has been successful in building a suite of services for professionals, employers, educators and students which will continue to grow and adapt according to changes in the industry.
Initially the ACCC was only responsible for appointing two chair members to ECO Canada’s Board of Directors. Since then ECO Canada, the ACCC, and the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada have developed two national academic affinity groups – the Canadian College Environmental Network (CCEN) and the Canadian University Environmental Science Network (CUESN).
The CCEN represents 26 Canadian colleges, technical institutes and CEGEP’s, while the CUESN has membership of 33 Canadian universities with undergraduate environmental science programs. Established in 2003, these organizations were brought together to identify issues within environmental education and share best practices for improving programs.
“The past and future success of the CCEN is a result of our close relationship with ECO Canada,” states Mark Krantzberg, Professor from the School of Construction Management at George Brown College. “Their support allows us to share our expertise with the growing network of colleges involved in training and retraining future environmental practitioners.”
Full Story on Page 16
