Green Economy Bridging Program
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We are proud to offer a bridging program for internationally educated professionals with backgrounds in engineering, architecture, science, environmental science, energy, agriculture, and other related disciplines.
This intensive program consists of 12 weeks of in-class training in Sustainability Management and Canadian workplace culture. Upon successful completion of the program, participants will receive a Recognition of Course Completion. Program participants will also receive job search and community connections support.
The tuition fee for the programs is $463 and is subject to change. Financial assistance in the form of a bursary may be available for those that qualify. If you are currently receiving Ontario Works in Toronto, you may quality for financial support. Contact your caseworker to learn more.
Required Courses
Participants must successfully complete each of the following courses:
Admission Requirements
To be eligible for the Green Economy Bridging Program, you must satisfy the following requirements:
- Be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or convention refugee of Ontario at the time of application and be eligible to work in Canada
- Be an internationally educated professional with a background in engineering, architecture, science, environmental science, energy, agriculture, and other related disciplines
- Have a baccalaureate degree equivalent to an Ontario university degree (i.e., an assessment of educational credentials made through a professional body or approved assessment agency in Ontario, such as World Education Services)
- Demonstrate English language proficiency at this level or higher: Canadian Language Benchmarks Placement Test (CLBPT) – Level 8; Toronto Metropolitan Test of English Proficiency (RTEP) – B; ELTS of 6.5; or any other equivalent English language proficiency test score.
To arrange an interview please contact ge@torontomu.ca or call 416-979-5000, ext. 2713.
Industry Overview
The green economy is defined as an economy that aims for sustainable development without degrading the environment. Sustainable Development or Sustainability, according to the United Nations, involves practices that satisfy current needs without comprising the needs of future generations. In response to a growing need to move the world toward sustainable practices, a whole new profession is emerging: Sustainability Management. Private, nonprofit, and public organizations are looking for ways to reduce waste, pollution, water use, and energy consumption in an effort to minimize costs or increase profits, improve the lives of the people they interact with, and minimize the impact on the environment. Sustainability professionals draw upon key skills related to environmental, economic, and social sustainability to support change management, strategic development, and corporate social responsibility.
What is Sustainability Management?
Sustainability Management takes the concepts from sustainability and synthesizes them with the concepts of management. Sustainability Management is often defined as a commitment to balance social and environmental with economic considerations.
What Do Sustainability Managers Do?
Finding solutions to multi-dimensional problems is at the core of Sustainability Management. Sustainability managers’ responsibilities vary somewhat from organization to organization. In general, a sustainability manager is responsible for planning, implementing, and controlling projects in order to meet the triple constraints of people, planet, and prosperity. The sustainability manager roles are similar to other management roles, with one key difference – these professionals place sustainable solutions at the core of their business strategy.
What Competencies Are Required?
The most critical soft skills for sustainability professionals are effective communication with internal and external stakeholders, problem solving, and inspiring and motivating others to pursue a path of sustainability. The most important hard skills cited by leading organizations are strategic planning, project management, and systems thinking. According to the International Society of Sustainability Professionals (ISSP), sustainability professionals need to have competencies in the following areas:- Understanding of foundational sustainability concepts and principles so that they may be an authoritative source of information about sustainability and the systems-thinking approach
- Stakeholder Engagement: Understanding the needs of stakeholders and facilitating engagement with them
- Strategic Planning: Being a visionary, guiding strategy through a sustainability lens
- Implement Sustainability Strategies: Operating with a whole-system perspective, finding leverage points and “teachable moments” for capacity building of stakeholders
- Evaluate and Report: Understanding indicators that reveal meaningful information, calculating metrics according to accepted standards, and maintaining transparency
- Adjust Plans: Synthesizing feedback from multiple sources, understanding systems thinking, and re-envisioning the organization’s roadmap
Toronto Sustainability Tour
The Green Economy Bridging Program has created a Self-Guided Toronto Sustainability Tour so that you can experience real examples of sustainability in the city.
The Toronto Sustainability Tour takes you to 10 sites. Each site demonstrates an aspect of one of the 10 Themes of Sustainability. As defined by the Ottawa Biosphere Eco-City Initiative, a Theme is an area of direct action for sustainability – such as Transportation, Habitat, Food or Waste.
How to Do the Tour
Visit all sites in one day, or make an outing to one site at a time. The 10 sites are listed and shown on the map on page 24. Make your visit green by biking or taking the bus if you can. Bring friends to share the experience. Take pictures. Share your posts and photos with the hashtag #TorontoSustainabilityTour on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram. See page 26 for a list of other sites in Toronto that also illustrate aspects of the 10 Themes.
Student Bios
“As a business developer for ENGIE, I worked with a team of technical, legal, and financial experts to develop and execute a partnership with a local start-up in Myanmar to build and operate a $12 million USD solar-diesel hybrid mini-grid platform that provides electricity to 50 villages.”
Abraham Anthony
Bachelor of Technology (Mechanical Engineering), MBA, Project Management Professional (PMP)
“I am an internationally trained engineer with 10 years of experience in design, construction, and audit of civil structures, mechanical systems installations, and electrification. I have worked mainly with private companies on major projects that have implemented sustainability design principles and standards.”
Adedayo Audifferen
M.Eng, Engineer in Training (EIT), Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt
“I led a residential sector clean energy transition project that involved analysis of policy and market challenges faced by homeowners in accessing clean energy solutions. I worked with local city partners, market research organizations, energy vendors, and government stakeholders to survey 1,800 households and six consultation workshops in various cities. The findings from the study were incorporated in national government vendor guidelines and published as a working paper. ”
Amala Devi
Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in Economics
“I am a highly dependable and passionate mechanical engineer with experience in product design and development. My experience includes delivering several technology acquisition projects, total quality management (TQM), and leading small consulting and research projects.”
Ehsan Moharrami
M. Eng, EIT
“Certified sustainability, environment, quality, health, safety, and compliance professional with experience in North American, European, Middle Eastern, African, and Asian markets for 10 years. I am experienced in conducting social, environment, health, quality, safety and security audits, developing compliance systems, and leading the role of sustainability specialist in different business categories.”
Farjad Shah
MS, MBA
“I am an internationally trained architect with five years of experience in the private construction and development sector. I recently completed the Immigrant Professionals Leveraging Architectural Knowledge for New Opportunities in Canada (IPLAN) bridging program at Toronto Metropolitan University. ”
Jenny Murillo Sanchez
BA, IPLAN, Architectural Designer
“I am an internationally educated professional with a deep understanding and knowledge in molecular biology. I am also an entrepreneur and am involved in recruitment of healthcare workers for the facilities around the province with a special focus during the pandemic. I am keen to develop processes to create a sustainable approach for healthy living especially for the aging population in Canada.”
Kavitha Siva
PhD (Biotechnology)
“I am an experienced environmental consultant, including working on environmental impact assessments for major government and private sector developments, conducting field work and sample collection to complete reports and meet permit requirements for construction projects. ”
Lydia Morrison
MSc, BSc
“I have over four years of experience in interior design and architecture. I’m highly organized with meticulous attention to detail,a team player with the ability to work under pressure, problem-solve and multitask, highly creative, eager to be challenged and to expand my growth mindset.”
Mariam Mousa
BA Interior Design, Intern at the Association of Registered Interior Designers of Ontario (ARIDO)
“I am a certified ESRI expert in GIS platforms including a GIS project for the Natural Resource Department in Iran. I have experience with satellite image processing projects and managing routine administrative operations.”
Maryam Sadeghian
BSc Natural Resources
“I am an internationally trained quality analyst with four-plus years of experience in the pharmaceutical sector, including the technical quality management system aspects to the personnel GMP training and implementation of policies and procedures. I have experience working in quality management of pharmaceutical, drug, and food testing laboratories (QMS aspects).”
Narendra Kumar Maheshwari
MSc, BSc, PhD (Microbiology), Lean Six Sigma (Yellow Belt)
“I am currently merging 16 years of general, project, account, and operations management with sustainability principles, GRI, GHG protocols, green design and natural resource management. I have extensive environmental, health and safety, and quality standards experience.”
Phillip Koppman
BASc, LEED GA, Environmental Professionals in-training (EPt)
“I have eight years of proven experience executing projects that adopt best global practices, adhere to quality and budget parameters as well as stringent timelines. I am proficient with large government infrastructure redevelopment projects, use the latest software tools, and am a great team worker with excellent communication skills. ”
Pramod Bhargav
Bachelor of Architecture, Master of Architecture (Urban Design)
“I am a certified American planner (AICP) and accredited sustainability professional with a background in architecture, urban design, urban planning, including design innovation and sustainability. I have over eight years of working at different scales of planning from buildings, neighborhood planning, master plans/subdivisions, urban renewal/regeneration, and regional planning.”
Prasanth Charakunnel Varughese
MSc, Master of Planning, Master of Architecture, Bachelor of Architecture, AICP, CNU-A, LEED AP BD+C Accredited Professional, WELL AP, ENV SP
“I am an internationally trained Environmental Health Science (EHS) Professional and well-seasoned highly accomplished professional. My experience includes implementing EHS programs like Dropped Object Management System, which was awarded as the best EHS initiative of the company (ADNOC) and Safety Marshal concept to improve the safety culture of the workforce. I’ve developed risk assessments and standard operating procedures for high hazard operations and led workshops for technical studies.”
Rajesh Kumar
MSc (Engineering), CRSP, CSP
“I am an internationally trained environmental engineer with three years of experience in environmental monitoring, assessment, and management. I have experience in performing environmental site assessment specific to the project and site audits to comply with local/regional regulatory standards.I have worked on sustainability projects for water saving where the treated sewage water was reused for the dyeing process in the industry. Total fresh water consumption was reduced by 30 to 40 percent in nearby residential homes as the treated wastewater was used for toilets and gardening.”
Saniya Ahluwalia
Master of Engineering, Bachelor of Engineering (Biotechnology)
“I am a passionate urban planner, urbanism researcher, and geomatics engineer with international and Canadian studies and training. My interdisciplinary professional experience and academic activities have led to a keen interest in integrating physical, social and environmental aspects of planning for a sustainable and inclusive urban development.”
Sarem Nejad
MSc, Master of Urban Planning, Bachelor of Geomatics Engineering
“I am a versatile project coordinator with five years of experience delivering exceptional customer service in fast-paced multicultural environments in the USA, UK, and India. Aiming to utilize multi-tasking skills and experience to problem solve and work effectively under pressure and tight deadlines. Career highlights include implementing a project tracking methodology for a $3 million USD portfolio at Puma.”
Sravani Indukuri
MBA, PMP, CAPM
“I am an internationally trained architect with 10 years of experience in revenue management, strategic sales, sales support, strategic account management, and governance across an organization to project revenue optimization and profitability. In a fare restructuring and new desinational launch I optimized revenue through the group travel segment and was able to increase it by 200 percent and generated $1 million USD in revenue.”
Syeda Jaana Ali
MA, BA, Lean Six Sigma (Yellow Belt)
“I am a qualified biology and English as a Second Language (ESL) and International English Language Testing System (IELTS) educator. My expertise includes middle and high school administration, conducting professional development sessions, policy design, and curriculum development. As a dedicated environmentalist, I believe that sustainable energy resources, coupled with indigenous methodologies are the key to tackling the world energy crisis and the way to reduce carbon footprint.”
Teena George
PhD (Marine Biology), OCELT, ICTEAL, Bachelor of Education
“I am an internationally trained engineer with experience in consulting for projects across all sectors. I have worked with public and private sector clients on urban planning, forecasting, design, and project planning for construction projects. ”
Timilehin Ogunde
BSc, MSc, PMP
“I am an internationally trained architect with experience in handling a variety of project concepts including villas, multi- story, luxury, residential, and commercial properties. My experience includes project coordinator, cost estimation, projects pricing, finishing materials selection, and procurement. I’ve reviewed designs, specifications, and papers and ensured projects are finished. I’ve coordinated the entire phase of construction from registration to contract and delivery. I’ve reviewed project bids and created cost analysis reports as well as invited stakeholders for site inspection.”
Samah Salem
Bachelor of Architecture Engineering, Diploma in Architectural and Urban Design
Contact Us for More Information
Email: ge@torontomu.ca
Phone: 416-979-5000, ext. 2713