Academic and student experience
NSCC provides our students with industry-driven training that sets them up for success and strengthens Nova Scotia’s economy.
Training Nova Scotia’s green workforce
Climate action and clean growth are predicted to create up to 300,000 new jobs in Canada by 2030, primarily in the construction, clean energy, and forestry sectors (PLACE Centre, Ready for Green Jobs, 2023). This anticipated clean growth will generate new jobs and expand opportunities in several existing industries. As a higher education institution, NSCC’s role will be to prepare graduates to enter these fields and stay ahead of emerging job opportunities to support Nova Scotia’s economy. Furthermore, 36% of students surveyed in 2024 reported selecting their NSCC program based on its relation to sustainability (NSCC 2024 Student Sustainability Survey).
Over the past year, NSCC has significantly expanded its microcredential offerings. The College now provides 19 microcredentials in areas such as clean technology, construction, equity and inclusion, natural resources and environment, and transportation. Microcredentials are short, focused courses that quickly equip students with up-to-date skills to meet demands in a rapidly changing workforce. Examples of microcredentials offered by NSCC to support the job demand associated with clean growth include:
Supporting faculty, training students
Supporting the professional development of faculty is crucial to ensuring students receive the training and skills needed for the green economy. Over the past two years, NSCC has participated in the “UN SDG Open Pedagogy Fellowship,” a program founded by Montgomery College. This fellowship offers NSCC faculty valuable opportunities to expand their expertise and receive guidance on integrating Sustainable Development Goals into their curriculum. Faculty members participate in the fellowship during the summer, collaborating with international peers to design assignments that emphasize sustainability and promote renewable practices. To date, NSCC has enrolled five faculty members in the program from various disciplines, including IT, Finance, and Mechanical Technology.
Students in courses taught by these faculty members will benefit from sustainability-focused, interdisciplinary, and internationally developed course assignments.
International learning for local action
NSCC International is committed to advancing the Sustainable Development Goals through education. This year, they hosted 16 international students and 8 faculty members at NSCC’s Truro Campus to explore climate change and green construction. The project, involving institutions from Canada, Denmark, Finland, and the Netherlands, focused on climate change mechanisms, adaptation, carbon in buildings, and responsible forestry.
Campus greenshift
NSCC students benefit from hands-on projects and applied learning. In the Energy Technology Sustainability Technician program (ESET), students complete term projects on energy-saving opportunities. This year, a graduating student conducted a feasibility study on vending machine energy-saving technology. The study was presented to NSCC's Facilities and Engineering Department and projected a potential savings of 75,000 KWH across all campus vending machines. The Sustainability team will pilot this technology on select campuses next year.
Goals for 2024/25
- Implement a Student Sustainability module as a pilot program throughout the College.
- Develop a guide highlighting sustainability-focused programs for prospective students.
- Incorporate sustainability considerations into the course review process.
Recap of 2023/24
- Continued to provide professional development for faculty through the UN SDG Open Pedagogy Fellowship program.
- Expanded microcredential opportunities with a focus on sustainability.
Co-curricular
Our commitment to providing a holistic learning experience goes beyond the classroom. Through dynamic co-curricular activities, such as innovative competitions, inspiring workshops, captivating guest speakers, enlightening conferences, and vibrant campus events, we aim to ignite our learners' passion for sustainability and nurture their entrepreneurial aspirations. These exceptional opportunities form an essential part of the NSCC’s student experience.
Throughout the past academic year, our students actively participated in numerous co-curricular activities that complemented their education in sustainable development. Noteworthy initiatives, including Enactus and Challenge NS, provided platforms for students to apply their knowledge and skills in real-world settings, fostering their growth as socially conscious and enterprising individuals.
NSCC Applied Research
We lead the way in addressing critical environmental challenges through collaborative, hands-on projects with industry and community partners. Our research focuses on six key areas: energy, engineered technologies, environmental and agricultural technology, geomatics, information technology, and social sciences.
We are committed to advancing climate resilience and clean technologies. Our work includes developing AI bots for de-carbonization and employing advanced mapping techniques to tackle issues such as floods, coastal erosion and ocean pollution. We are also exploring marine propulsion, integrating electric and hybrid systems into boats.
For several years, we've been expanding our research efforts to ensure clean, sustainable drinking water in communities across Nova Scotia.
In partnership with 3D Wave Design, we have enhanced 3D mapping models to improve wildfire planning and emergency response, leading to better preparedness and resource allocation during wildfire events.
Our collaboration with Perennia Food and Agriculture Corporation and the Christmas Tree Council of Nova Scotia has led to improved balsam fir seedling quality. Supported by a $500K federal grant, this success has led to the creation of the Agriculture Biotechnology Cool Climate Centre, which focuses on disease mitigation, climate adaptation and sustainable agriculture. The Centre will collaborate with local businesses to develop biostimulants and soil amendments for resilient crops and increased yield.
Our sustainability efforts also provide students with valuable work experience, equipping them with essential skills for the future through innovative projects and specialized training programs.
NSCC International
NSCC International provides leadership for international learning at NSCC, fostering a global worldview for students and employees through experiential learning at home and abroad. We also strive to create inclusive communities for immigrants, embracing diversity and cultural exchange. Focus areas of work include externally funded technical assistance programs with partner colleges and institutions worldwide, scholarship programs for students from less developed countries to study on exchange at NSCC, programs to enhance immigrant and international student experience, and Global Skills Opportunities. Through these programs, NSCC engages local, international and immigrant students in many co-curricular activities through which they gain valuable global employability skills.
NSCC has a wide range of externally funded technical assistance projects in partnership with colleges in less developed countries to enhance the quality of vocational training in those countries.
NSCC is actively engaged with 9 projects in the Caribbean, South America, and East Africa. 6 of these projects focus specifically on sustainability themes, including a new project focused on the “blue economy” in Kenya, an eco-tourism project in the Caribbean, aquaculture projects in Grenada and Kenya, and two solar power training projects in the Bahamas and Belize. The Empowerment through Skills project in Tanzania is focused on skills development for women and girls and includes solar PV training as one of the training areas.
NSCC International co-curricular programs for students take many forms, including the International Student Ambassadors (ISA) program and Global Skills Opportunities. Global Skills Opportunities include study abroad programs for students with funding from the Government of Canada/Colleges and Institutes Canada. Over the past year, 80 students and 15 employee leaders participated in 15 programs in 11 countries.
Whether at home or abroad, virtual or in-person, these are opportunities for students to gain skills in global citizenship, appreciation for cultural diversity and culture’s contribution to sustainable development.