Environmental Technician

Exploring the World of Outdoor Adventure

In the fall of 2000 Algonquin College’s Pembroke Campus launched one of the most innovative college programs in Canada. The Outdoor Adventure program capitalized on the growing worldwide thirst for high adventure activities and the need to train individuals to work in the industry.

Greg Arminen ice climbingFast forward 17 years and the program is known around the world as its graduates have become the program’s greatest ambassadors, sharing their story of how they found a college program that finally met their expectations for post-secondary education. Students in the program spend three days a week on campus completing business courses in topics such as risk management, accounting, finance, and marketing. The other two days are spent at Wilderness Tours Resort, Mount Pakenham ski hill or other outdoor destinations where students earn certifications in a variety of outdoor skills including swift water rescue, alpine skiing and snowboarding, rock climbing, ice climbing, mountain biking and more.

Outdoor Adventure, Algonquin College, Pembroke Campus

Students also have opportunities to participate in international expeditions, such as the group of second-year Outdoor Adventure students who recently spent a week in Iceland testing fat bike technology in a country that is struggling to deal with its overnight success as a tourism destination. That learning experience was recently highlighted by CBC Radio, giving the program some great exposure and demonstrating how innovative the program has become, in this case as a leader in testing new technologies to address sustainability concerns.

Action Sports Park Development, Algonquin College, Pembroke Campus

The introduction of the Outdoor Adventure program has resulted in several spin-off programs being created that allowed the Pembroke Campus to carve a niche as Eastern Canada’s leading outdoor education post-secondary school. Other programs that are also offered at the campus include Outdoor Adventure Naturalist, Action Sports Park Development, and Environmental Technician.

The next time you go on a big adventure, don’t be surprised if your trip guide is a graduate of Algonquin College’s cluster of outdoor adventure programs. After all, program graduates are scattered in countries around the world, because the adventure tourism industry holds no geographical boundaries. The world is truly at each student’s fingertips.

Posted by Jamie Bramburger, Manager of Community and Student Affairs

Summer Struggles-Deciding Whether to Apply to College

BewilderedIt’s true that most college bound students have their plans in place for this fall, but that doesn’t mean it’s too late to apply to a college program. In fact, every summer there is a small panic among hundreds of students who are frantically trying to get everything in place to enroll in college.

So, why do they leave it so late? In many cases it is circumstances, but more frequently they are dealing with a stomach pit of uncertainly of what lies ahead. Many applicants are simply worried they won’t be accepted into college or they won’t be successful.

Purple couch - 5 peopleOne of the great things about today’s college system is that there are plenty of supports to help students succeed, and that support starts before they actually begin their classroom studies. Through the admissions process there will be helping hands from staff who work in counselling, registration, student recruitment and financial aid.

Whether it’s taking a campus tour, having transcripts reviewed to determine whether an applicant has the necessary pre-requisites for a program, or learning about student loans and grants, a summer applicant can quickly get the answers they need to make an informed decision.

Geoff Mennie with eelWhile many college programs will now be closed or wait-listed because all of the seats have been filled, there are still dozens of programs that have availability. For example, programs like Business, Office Administration-Executive, Construction Techniques and Environmental Technician at Algonquin College’s Waterfront Campus remain open to applicants.

There’s no question that having a post-secondary credential has become paramount to a person’s ability to progress in the workplace. Increasingly, employers are asking for a minimum of a college certificate or diploma as a starting point to be considered for a job posting. That reality is the primary factor that drives a person’s decision to enroll in a college program.

Colleges have always been accessible to people of all ages and educational backgrounds. Whether it’s a student coming directly from high school, a university graduate who is enrolling in college to strengthen their practical skills within their field of study, or a laid off middle age worker who is training for a new career, there are plenty of options available to students.

Info Session Poster

So, if you’ve been procrastinating about applying to college, you’re not alone. Hundreds of would-be college students are struggling with the same decision this summer. The good news is, it’s not too late!

If you would like more information you can also register for our upcoming Discovery Evening on Thursday, August 4 @ 6:30 p.m.

Posted by Jamie Bramburger, Manager of Community and Student Affairs at Algonquin College’s Waterfront Campus.