Jobs

If you are interested in a career in meteorology, hydrology or the atmospheric sciences, this section provides some avenues which may help you get started.

We recommend consulting the Canadian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society (CMOS) and remind you that there is an active private sector in Canada.

Most of our positions require a strong background in science and mathematics. In addition to courses in the atmospheric sciences, courses in earth sciences can also provide a valuable insight into the atmospheric environment.

Make sure that you learn to use computers and their application to problem-solving, writing and communication. Students must develop good skills in written and spoken English and/or French in order to communicate scientific knowledge. Check entrance requirements for the universities in which you are interested, as well as others listed on the Canadian Meteorology and Oceanography Society's (CMOS) site.

Student Work Experience

The federal government has a work program for students, the Federal Student Work Experience Program (FSWEP). You can get more information through the career centre at your university.

The federal government also has a Youth Internship Program for youth who are no longer full time students (18-30 years), and are underemployed or unemployed. You can get more information through Career Edge, the website for the national youth internship program.

At Environment Canada, our students are involved in social activities and participate in many learning events.

Cooperative Education Programs

Several Canadian universities are developing cooperative education programs in meteorology and the atmospheric sciences. To find out more, contact these universities directly - University of British Columbia, University of Alberta, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) and Dalhousie.

We are strongly committed to using university cooperative programs in computer science and information technology. We suggest you contact universities which you are interested in attending for further information on their COOP programs.

Weather volunteers

You can be a part of Environment Canada's volunteer weather and climate observing network. The department has a number of programs across the country. These may differ from one region to another, either because of differences in weather or due to local opportunities and the interest of the volunteers. There is a national climate observing program, where long-term volunteer observers take observations twice daily and report them to the department; there are severe weather watchers who telephone the forecast centres when severe weather is happening in their area; in some areas, ham radio operators spot and track severe weather. Some schools participate in a "Skywatchers" program, where students observe and record weather data. In some cases, programs are operated by communities with support from Environment Canada.

If you are interested in joining a volunteer program, please contact one of Environment Canada's regional offices through the Green Lane^TM or, in Quebec, call 1-800-361-0233.

Visiting Fellowships

The program is open to candidates up to five years after completing their doctorate. The program is administered for Environment Canada by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC). Applications are considered three times a year - March 15, July 15, and November 15. The fellowships are generally for a period of two years, during which time the fellows work with scientists in one or other of the research branches.

Junior scientists are often recruited from this pool of visiting fellows, although all positions are advertised widely within Canadian universities in order to ensure selection of the most meritorious candidates.

The Green Lane^TM,
Environment Canada's World Wide Web Site.