Would you like to do more for the environment than just recycling and saving energy? You can make it your life’s work by gaining the skills needed for jobs in environmental technology.
This fall, Chattahoochee Technical College is launching the first environmental technology associate degree program in metro Atlanta.
“We looked at the growing concerns about the environment and projected job growth in this field as part of our research,” said Bejie Herrin, environmental technology and horticulture instructor at Chattahoochee Technical College.
The job demand is expected to grow by 24 percent in the next 10 years, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor statistics. Most jobs in the field require at least an associate degree in a program related to environmental science.
“When we put together the curriculum and asked local industries how they felt about it, their answer was, ‘How fast can you start?’ They are ready for our grads,” Herrin said.
Environmental science technicians perform laboratory and field tests to monitor the environment and investigate sources of pollution. The field also encompasses environment factors and ecosystem functions that affect human health.
“There’s really something for everyone in this field. There are desk jobs, such as analyzing data and writing reports; lab jobs, like testing samples; and jobs in the field, such as locating wetlands, assessing water runoff and collecting samples,” Herrin said.
The median salary is $41,380 per year, according to the U.S. Labor Bureau.
She considers it a good field for recent high school graduates and workers who want to make a career change.
“You can take these skills anywhere,” Herrin said.
Graduates will be qualified to work for utilities, wastewater management companies, hazardous waste clean-up companies, environmental analysis firms, construction companies, urban planners, pollution control organizations and government agencies, Herrin said.
“The ideal student would enjoy and do well in science courses and have an interest in being a good steward of the environment,” she said.
Besides general education courses, students will take classes in biology, chemistry, geographic information systems technology, environmental law and ethics, forest stream and wetland ecology, and quantitative field sampling and analysis.
“We chose to concentrate on water first in our program, because that is one of our most-limited and limiting resources. Later, we plan to add an air-quality track,” Herrin said.
Students will learn about water and wastewater treatment processes, hydrology, water supply, environmental toxicology and take other electives.
Environmental technology courses will be offered during the day and evening at the school’s North Metro campus in Acworth.
Chattahoochee Tech is accepting applications for fall semester until July 27. Tuition for the 70-hour associate degree program is $75 per credit hour (for in-state students), plus fees. A 15-hour semester costs about $1,280.
“We anticipate great interest in this program, so we suggest people apply early,” Herrin said.
For information, call 770-529-2316, send email to Bejie.Herrin@chattahoocheetech.edu or go to www.chattahoocheetech.edu.
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