The Canadian Centre for Environmental Education (CCEE) was created in 2005 through a unique collaborative approach involving 25 major universities and colleges across Canada. The 25 institutions offer their distance-based environmental courses as part of a joint certificate program. Utilizing online distance learning through Royal Roads University

Royal Roads University

Royal Roads University is a public university located in Colwood, Greater Victoria, British Columbia, that describes itself as "Canada's University for Working Professionals".-Overview:...

, the CCEE’s Certificate in Environmental Practice (CEP) is used as a form of professional development, continuing education, and skills transitioning for individuals interested in, or currently working within, the environmental industry. Eleven concentrations are offered within the certificate, aligning with the Canadian National Occupational Standards for Environmental Employment.

Background

The CCEE was established to address the challenges of the environmental labour market. The overall growth in the demand for employment in the environmental industry exceeds the demand for employment in all other industries in Canada. The goal of the CCEE is to decrease the gap between the demand for qualified employees and the supply of employees with relevant expertise.

The two organizations responsible for creating the CCEE are ECO Canada

ECO Canada

ECO Canada was established in 1992 as part of Canada's sector council initiative. Sector councils are organizations that address human resource challenges facing the Canadian economy...

, and Royal Roads University.

It was designed in accordance with the National Occupational Standards for Environmental Employment. National Occupational Standards refer to relevant competencies identified by industry experts as necessary for a particular occupation.. Credentials are granted to students through courses and/or a Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition tool (Recognition of Prior Learning

Recognition of prior learning

Recognition of prior learning , prior learning assessment , or prior learning assessment and recognition , describes a process used by colleges and universities around the world to evaluate learning acquired outside the classroom for the purpose of assigning academic credit...

).

Startup funding for the initiative was provided by the Government of Canada

Government of Canada

The Government of Canada, formally Her Majesty's Government, is the system whereby the federation of Canada is administered by a common authority; in Canadian English, the term can mean either the collective set of institutions or specifically the Queen-in-Council...

.

A major objective of the partnership is to facilitate a process that will help transition practitioners from other fields of specialization into the environmental sector. Sector transitioning initiatives are increasing in Canada in an effort to ensure a sufficient supply of qualified practitioners in growth sectors such as the environment and also assist employees in declining sectors looking for work.

Partners

• Algonquin College

Algonquin College

Algonquin College of Applied Arts and Technology is a publicly funded English-language college and member of Polytechnics Canada located in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The college serves the National Capital Region and the outlying areas of Eastern Ontario and Western Quebec...

 

• Athabasca University

Athabasca University

Athabasca University is a Canadian university in Athabasca, Alberta. It is an accredited research institution which also offers distance education courses and programs. Courses are offered primarily in English with some French offerings. Each year, 32,000 students attend the university. It offers...

 

• BCIT 

• Cambrian College

Cambrian College

Cambrian College is a college of applied arts and technology in Greater Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. Established in 1967, and funded by the province of Ontario, Cambrian has campuses in Sudbury, Espanola and Little Current....

 

• Cape Breton University

Cape Breton University

Cape Breton University , formerly the "University College of Cape Breton" , is a Canadian university in Nova Scotia's Cape Breton Regional Municipality....

 

• Durham College

Durham College

Durham College of Applied Arts and Technology is located in the Durham Region with campuses in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada and Whitby and additional locations in Uxbridge, Port Hope, Port Perry and Beaverton...

 

• Loyalist College

Loyalist College

Loyalist College is an English-language community college in Belleville, Ontario, Canada.- History :...

 

• Malaspina University College 

• Red River College

Red River College

Red River College of Applied Arts, Science and Technology is located in Winnipeg. The College offers degree, diploma, certificate, and apprenticeship programs in the applied arts, applied sciences, and various trades. The university press, The Projector, is a member of CUP.-Campus:It has a number...

 

• Royal Military College

Royal Military College of Canada

The Royal Military College of Canada, RMC, or RMCC , is the military academy of the Canadian Forces, and is a degree-granting university. RMC was established in 1876. RMC is the only federal institution in Canada with degree granting powers...

 

• Royal Roads University

Royal Roads University

Royal Roads University is a public university located in Colwood, Greater Victoria, British Columbia, that describes itself as "Canada's University for Working Professionals".-Overview:...

 

• Ryerson University

Ryerson University

Ryerson University is a public research university located in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its urban campus is adjacent to Yonge-Dundas Square located at the busiest intersection in Downtown Toronto. The majority of its buildings are in the blocks northeast of the square in Toronto's Garden...

 

• SAIT Polytechnic 

• Sault College

Sault College

Sault College of Applied Arts and Technology is one of 24 publicly funded colleges in Ontario. Sault College is located in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario and began in 1965 as the Ontario Vocational Centre...

 

• SIAST 

• Simon Fraser University

Simon Fraser University

Simon Fraser University is a Canadian public research university in British Columbia with its main campus on Burnaby Mountain in Burnaby, and satellite campuses in Vancouver and Surrey. The main campus in Burnaby, located from downtown Vancouver, was established in 1965 and has more than 34,000...

 

• TELUQ 

• Thompson Rivers University

Thompson Rivers University

Thompson Rivers University is a comprehensive university located in Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada. It offers students a broad range of courses, career streams, and the ability to ladder credits from diploma programs into full degrees...

 

• University of British Columbia

University of British Columbia

The University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...

 

• University of Guelph

University of Guelph

The University of Guelph, also known as U of G, is a comprehensive public research university in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. It was established in 1964 after the amalgamation of Ontario Agricultural College, the Macdonald Institute, and the Ontario Veterinary College...

 

• University of New Brunswick

University of New Brunswick

The University of New Brunswick is a Canadian university located in the province of New Brunswick. UNB is the oldest English language university in Canada and among the first public universities in North America. The university has two main campuses: the original campus founded in 1785 in...

 

• University of Northern BC

• University of Toronto

University of Toronto

The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...

 

• University of Victoria

University of Victoria

The University of Victoria, often referred to as UVic, is the second oldest public research university in British Columbia, Canada. It is a research intensive university located in Saanich and Oak Bay, about northeast of downtown Victoria. The University's annual enrollment is about 20,000 students...

 

• Wilfrid Laurier University

Wilfrid Laurier University

Wilfrid Laurier University is a university located in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. It also has campuses in Brantford, Ontario, Kitchener, Ontario and Toronto, Ontario and a future proposed campus in Milton, Ontario. It is named in honour of Sir Wilfrid Laurier, the seventh Prime Minister of Canada....

External links

• Canadian Centre for Environmental Education