Certificate Program at Skagit Valley College Equips Students To Protect Public Health

December 28, 2016

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Skagit Valley College in Mount Vernon, Wash. offers a Water and Wastewater Treatment Technician Program to train those entering the water sector. Photo © Doug J Scott, dougscott.com.

Skagit Valley College in Mount Vernon, Wash., offers a Water and Wastewater Treatment Technician Program to train those entering the water sector. Photo ©Doug J Scott/dougscott.com.

Students at Skagit Valley College in Mount Vernon, Wash., can choose to study everything from home brewing to urban sketching. But Pacific Northwesterners looking to start a career can take advantage of a certificate program at the college that will put them on the front line of protecting public health and the environment in less than a year.

Students taking the Estuarine and Nearshore Ecology class identify zooplankton in the laboratory. Photo courtesy of Skagit Valley College

Students taking the Estuarine and Nearshore Ecology class identify zooplankton in the laboratory. Photo courtesy of Skagit Valley College

Skagit’s 44-week Water and Wastewater Treatment Technician Program is designed to prepare students for entry-level positions in industrial or municipal water and wastewater treatment. Coursework ranges from watershed management and facility maintenance to fluid flow management and water treatment. Students also have opportunities to try out their growing knowledge and skills — and gain exposure to potential employers —  through a robust co-op program.

During the Advanced Limnology and Reservoir Ecology class, students take water samples from a wetland area of Sumner Lake that they tested in the laboratory. Photo courtesy of Skagit Valley College.

During the Advanced Limnology and Reservoir Ecology class, students take water samples from a wetland area of Sumner Lake that they tested in the laboratory. Photo courtesy of Skagit Valley College.

Students who want to continue their studies can continue on to receive Skagit’s bachelor of applied science degree in environmental conservation — the only bachelor’s degree offered by the college.

Tuition and fees for the complete 69-credit certificate program currently runs $5075; books and supplies require an additional $2500.

A sample schedule of classes for those interested in pursuing the certificate is available online. Access additional information by calling 877-385-5360.

— Mary Bufe, WEF Highlights

Water and Wastewater Training Opportunities Featured in WEF Highlights

Whether you are a wastewater veteran in search of an online continuing education course or an entry-level employee aspiring to enter the water sector, colleges and universities across the country now offer coursework designed to help. The key is to find the program that works for you.

Stay tuned to WEF Highlights for articles featuring these programs. Find the articles by searching for the keyword TrainingCourses.

Know a program that you’d like to share? Send it to Jennifer Fulcher, WEF Highlights editor, at jfulcher@wef.org.

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