A batch of 27 recent graduates of Niagara College's Ecosystem Restoration (Graduate Certificate) program are getting a jumpstart on their career, becoming Certified Ecological Restoration Practitioners-in-Training (CERPITs), thanks to a new partnership between the college and the Society for Ecological Restoration (SER).
The SER is an international organization dedicated to advancing the science, practice and policy of ecological restoration to sustain biodiversity, improve resilience in a changing climate, and re-establish an ecologically healthy relationship between nature and culture. This summer, Niagara College became Canada's first post-secondary institution to become a partner with the SER's Certified Ecological Restoration Practitioner program.
The initiative supports graduates as they pursue their CERPIT designation and provides a clear pathway for them to advance to full Certified Ecological Restoration Practitioners (CERPs).
SER's CERP Program Coordinator Jen Lyndall said, "Certification recognizes practitioners who have met a high standard of knowledge and experience. Early career CERPITs, like those from Niagara College, can really differentiate themselves from other candidates during job searches, but more importantly they gain access to technical information and a network of hundreds of other CERPs and CERPITs from all over the world."
The partnership also provides the program graduates with an Emerging Professional membership to SER, which connects them with a vast network of restorationists and provides access to technical resources through SER newsletters and publications, a complimentary subscription to the Restoration Ecology journal, expert webinars, and the Restoration Resource Center.
For more information
300 Woodlawn Road, P.O.Box 1005
Welland Ontario
Canada L3C 7L3
www.niagaracollege.ca
