Co-op program details

Environmental%20-%20Civil%20Engineering%20Technology%20(Optional%20Co-op)

Program details

Credential: 3-Year Ontario College Advanced Diploma

This three-year program prepares the student for career opportunities in the field of environmental/civil engineering at the engineering technologist level. The curriculum is designed to provide a balanced education in environmental/civil engineering technology, catering to students' special interests by means of a major project in the third year. Classroom instruction is complemented by environmental monitoring training in the field, visits to solid waste management facilities and to sites undergoing environmental remediation. The curriculum permits the student a wide selection of subjects in general education to enrich and augment their technical education. The first two semesters are common with the Civil Engineering Technology program. During the final four semesters, the student will complete six courses related to the environmental/civil engineering field.

Graduates of this program are qualified to seek employment in engineering offices in the areas of contaminated site investigation, design and detailing, groundwater monitoring, contaminated site remediation, estimating construction costs, field inspection, co-ordinating construction schedules and specifications, field surveys, soil exploration, construction supervision, and laboratory testing of soils and construction materials.

Student availability & wage data

Conestoga College facilitates recruitment on an ongoing basis - there are no hard deadlines. Typical time frames for work terms are listed below.

Postings are accepted beginning four months before the start of a term until all students have secured employment provided the minimum 12 consecutive weeks of full-time work is met.

Conestoga College collects data on hourly wages of co-operative education students and offers suggested ranges as a service to employers for the purpose of establishing fair and competitive compensation.

Our experience has been that employers increase wages as skills increase, particularly when employing students for more advanced work terms. The Co-operative Education Office can provide assistance to employers in establishing appropriate wage rates.

Work term capabilities

Specific skills and abilities that students are typically capable of performing during a given work term are listed below.

Work term 1

  • Assist with the surveying of a number of professional consulting service projects that include municipal drains, bridges, roads, storm-water management, sanitary sewage and subdivisions
  • Prepare simple drawings using CAD
  • Perform tests on soils such as sieve analysis, compaction testing and soil type identification
  • Perform tests on concrete including slump and cylinder compression tests
  • Assist in preparing cost estimates for construction and environmental remediation projects
  • Perform traffic control duties for "on road" construction projects

Work term 2

  • Assist in the design and supervision of the implementation of various components of a solid waste management facility including leachate collection and gas control systems and liners and caps
  • Conduct leachate sampling and gas monitoring at landfill sites
  • Prepare advanced CAD drawings
  • Participate as a member of a survey crew performing layout and topographic surveys
  • Perform detailing on municipal drawings which include curb layout, road layout, storm and sanitary sewer layout and working drawings for the construction industry using CAD
  • Perform field inspection duties on construction sites and environmental remediation sites
  • Supervise contaminated site investigations, including hollow stem auger drilling, soil and groundwater sample collection, and the preparation of borehole logs

Sample job titles


Work term 1:
  • Waste Management Technologist
  • Entry level position as CAD Drafter/Designer
  • Surveying Assistant
  • Materials Technician (soils, asphalt or concrete)
  • Estimator and Quantity Takeoffs
  • Field Technician
Work term 2:
  • Surveying Crew Chief
  • Site Inspector
  • Environmental Technologist

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Contact information

Do you need help developing a recruitment plan or job posting, accessing wage information, or connecting with a talented co-op student? Contact:

Hemant Chauhan
Employer Relations Consultant
hchauhan@conestogac.on.ca