Marine Science Made Easy

Envirotech Education recently commenced two new courses to make marine science more accessible than ever before. The Certificate II (for high school students) and Certificate III courses in Marine Habitat Conservation and Restoration were developed by Envirotech when they realised there were significant gaps in the marine conservation and restoration fields in Australia.

The courses were established because the only existing pathways were through either on the job training or via an academic degree. According to Envirotech many people with lower-level skills are in practical positions working in marine conservation, resulting in high salary expenses and wasted resources for employers, government and the community.

Both Certificate II and III are designed for students who may not have earned university enrolment but have a desire to learn marine-based working skills and who wish to take professional leadership in community marine restoration work and to empower communities to participate in protecting local marine environments.

Envirotech says that due to the lack of university education, indigenous and traditional coastal community people of Australia have been unable to work in the marine sector and make a living from it, despite their ancestral knowledge on conservation and deep connection to the oceans.

Environmental Impact

Another strong motivation for creating the courses was the current poor health of our oceans. Issues such as marine pollution, ocean acidification, loss of marine species; and the degradation of marine and coastal habitats are putting a huge strain on marine environments with exploitation and pollution causing rapid damage to entire marine ecosystems globally.

The Aquatic Classroom: theoretical knowledge in a real world environment

Envirotech created the two courses following four years of intensive research and structured the curriculum through small class sizes with clear, theoretical and practical units providing skills and knowledge around marine ecosystem restoration.

The first intake of high school students have just completed the Certificate II course and Gold Coast student Brianna Murray was particularly impressed by the practical aspects of the course. “I’m a very visual learner. I often get distracted when I’m sitting in a classroom and the teacher’s talking, but when I’m actually out there doing stuff I learn so much more and it just stays in my brain”, she says.

Career Opportunities

The courses are designed to provide sound theoretical knowledge applied through real world experiences to give students a solid foundation for a career in the marine industry. Prospective careers include fishery management and monitoring; marine park ranger; research assistant; volunteer coordinator; restoration project data collector; and research services officer in marine ecosystems.

Another local student who has just gained her Certificate II qualification is Harper Smith, who was excited by the prospects of the course. “I’ve always wanted to be a marine biologist ever since I can remember. This course is just one step closer in getting me to my goal.”