Description
The Water Sustainability Technician Program (WST) is a very practical, classroom and field-based Water Resource skills training certificate program. The 120-hour (ten-week), fully online self-paced WST program, provides course participants with high-quality, in-demand Water Resource Technical skills. WST ‘graduates’ are qualified and capable to lead or assist with; water mass balance and availability studies; monitoring and assessing changes in water quality associated with mining, hydro-electric, oil and gas, forestry, road construction, agriculture, and municipal stormwater; and development of source water protection plans. Job opportunities exist withing the public and private sectors, with conservation and stewardship groups.
Each NRTG course includes free, lifetime admission. Enrol once – come back anytime.
Through exercises and assignments participants will develop practical skills for measuring water availability, water quality sampling, measuring contaminant dilution, and work through water management simulations challenging participants to make and justify tough decisions.
Outcomes
Upon successful completion, participants will be able to:
- Compare and contrast economic and physical water scarcity.
- Describe the global water cycle.
- Identify natural and anthropogenic activities affecting water distribution.
- Measure surface and ground water quantity.
- Interpret and explain hydrographs.
- Compare and contrast the physical, chemical, and biological properties of lakes, rivers, and reservoirs.
- Identify and describe point and non-point source pollution.
- Compare and contrast contaminant loading versus contaminant concentration.
- Measure contaminant loading.
- Develop a water quality sampling program.
- Compare and contrast water treatment processes.
- Develop a source water protection plan.
- Explain water governance.
- Develop ethical solutions to issues of water scarcity.
Course Format
The WST is offered in a feature-rich online self-paced format:
In this fully online self-paced program students complete NRTG’s feature-rich modules through our Learning Management System (LMS). Students will also be provided with weekly instructor-led sessions, discussions and further analysis of course content. Online recorded modules allow students to learn at their own pace and convenience; and field exercises are completed independently by students in a convenient location.
Course Customization
This course can also be customized for an organization and/or community based on their needs and preferences. In its standard format, this course is comprised of 120 hours of applied training. Clients may request additional training in specific topics (e.g., environmental monitoring, forestry, Guardian training, etc.) or additional certifications (e.g., Off-Road driving, Archaeology, UTV training, etc.).
Contact us with your ideas and needs and we’ll work with you to design and deliver a specialized training program that meets your needs.
Potential Students
Course participants typically include existing environmental technicians, Indigenous stakeholders, resource workers, or individuals wishing to enter the environmental management or natural resource management sectors.
Pre-requisites:
There are no prerequisites for this course.
Personal Equipment Requirements:
Participants are required to bring/supply their own laptop, writing pad, and pen/pencils. For further information, please contact NRTG.
How do I Attend?
The WST is available in the online self-paced format outlined above and posted on our website schedule, or on contract to community groups. Interested groups or organizations can also arrange for an ‘in-house’ or contract delivery of the WST program. In either scenario, contact NRTG for further information.
Instructor Profile:
Jeff Sereda, PhD.
Senior Fisheries Ecologist, Adjunct Professor University of Saskatchewan
Jeff holds a PhD. in Limnology and an Aquaculture Technician Diploma. He served as manager of a commercial salmonid hatchery for 4 years, lectured at the University of Saskatchewan on topics of fish physiology, taxonomy, ecology, conservation, and aquaculture. Currently, Jeff is a Senior Habitat and Population Ecologist with the Saskatchewan Government and an Adjunct Professor at the University of Saskatchewan.
Jeff’s research has encompassed topics such as assessing the risk of lakes to anthropogenic eutrophication, macrophyte management, fish habitat restoration, and the impacts of water management on species as risk (Bigmouth Buffalo, Chestnut Lamprey, Mountain Sucker, and Lake Sturgeon). Jeff’s research has been presented at over 60 national and international conferences and resulted in 15 peer reviewed publications.