Ensuring students and post-graduates have access to impactful jobs that align with their career goals is essential to the success of the new student hire and the organization they work for.
For 26 years, ECO Canada has offered employment programs that stimulate environmental career pathways, skill development, and business growth through wage and training funding in collaboration with ECO’s funding partners.
ECO Canada’s wage funding programs has created over 18,421 youth jobs and provided over $198 million in funding and supported over 5,000 employers across Canada.
The funding helps young hires kick-start their career journey and gain meaningful work experience, like Sahar’s work with Forests Ontario this past summer.
An inspiring story: Sahar and Forests Ontario
ECO Canada is pleased to highlight the inspiring story of Sahar and Peter, who took part in this summer’s Student Work Placement (Co-op) program. Their collaboration shows the success of our wage funding program, and the power of great mentorship.
Sahar was introduced to ECO Canada’s Co-op Program during her Masters of Environment and Sustainability at the University of Western Ontario. The Student Work Placement Co-op Program aligned well with Sahar’s career goals, as her professional development is centered around sustainability and conservation.
“I chose ECO Canada’s employment program because it offers a unique opportunity to gain a hands-on experience in the environmental field while being part of structure in a supportive program.” said Sahar.
“Basically, it streamlined and targeted my job search. The program has a very structured approach. Combined with ECO Canada’s very strong industry connection, it provided me with access to opportunities that I might not have been able to discover on my own.”
Sahar found Forests Ontario through ECO Canada’s Co-op program as suggested by her Program Coop Coordinator at Western. Forests Ontario is committed to restoring our forested landscapes to sustain biodiversity, healthy people and a healthy economy. Over the past 20 years, Forests Ontario has worked collaboratively with its network of partners to support the planting of more than 46 million trees across the country.
Sahar’s role at Forests Ontario
Over the summer, Sahar played a key role in advancing the national program at Forests Ontario through verifying and updating the native trees in the organization database. She also contributed to Forests Ontario’s strategic planning, through enhancing their sustainability efforts.
Sahar applied many of the skills she acquired at Western, such as Research & Data Analysis through conducted in-depth research on nature-based solutions, carbon markets, and native tree species.
She ensured the right species were planted in the correct ecological zones, supporting FO’s mission of planting the right tree, in the right place, for the right reasons.
Sahar gained valuable experience in grant application writing, project management, communication, and stakeholder engagement. These activities enriched her skills in sustainability, environmental stewardship, and carbon sequestration.
A key element to success: good management
In addition to strengthening and learning new skills, Sahar received well-rounded support from Peter Moddle, the National Program Manager at Forests Ontario as well as the rest of the team to support her professional development.
Peter and Sahar regularly scheduled meetings to exchange their thoughts and explore new ideas particularly around Sahar’s research topics, which closely aligned with her strong interest in sustainability. Sahar’s vibrant and bright ideas were essential for the team to envision new possibilities and pathways for advancing their environmental goals.
“The dedication and commitment demonstrated by Sahar during her co-op, brought a fresh perspective and innovative ideas that helped drive forward progress. That kind of dedication and commitment from a co-op student, even being here for a short time, made the experience rewarding. Fresh perspectives and innovative ideas really helped to drive things forward.” said Peter
Peter continually inspired Sahar to expand her horizons, encouraging her to attend events and seminars focused on ESG and sustainability. These opportunities helped Sahar deepen her knowledge of environmental practices and broaden her professional network. Through these events, she connected with industry leaders and like-minded professionals, which opened doors to new collaborations and career opportunities, further solidifying her passion for driving sustainable change.
A win-win experience
“I feel like my work at Forests Ontario was very enriching, and honestly, Peter he was a great manager, and he was a great mentor.” said Sahar.
When both employers and employees invest in each other, the results speak for themselves. It’s a win-win situation that fuels progress, innovation, and long-term success.
That’s where ECO Canada comes in. ECO Canada offers eligible employers 50% of a wage, up to a maximum of $5,000, for hiring top talent in Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math (STEAM), and Business.
ECO Canada wants to see your organization succeed through the fresh ideas and perspectives of new talent through the Student Work Placement (Co-op) program.
“Being connected to students that we know are interested in a program like this and meet ECO Canada’s requirements really helps take out of a lot of the selection process. We know we’re dealing with qualified candidates that are ready for the industry and are supported by a program that really knows the environmental sector well. ECO Canada can provide the support and guidance of pathways for the student to succeed.” Peter Moddle, the National Program Manager at Forests Ontario.
Want to find out more about how ECO Canada’s Wage Funding programs can benefit you or your organization? Click this link and explore the opportunities of ECO Canada’s employment programs: https://staging.eco.ca/environmental-professionals/employment-funding-and-job-board/student-work-placement-co-op/
