WCC: Now hiring six-month positions

By: Laura Schlabach, WCC outreach coordinator

Washington Conservation Corps (WCC) is seeking young adults ages 18-25 and military veterans for six-month positions on our crews across the state.

The WCC, an AmeriCorps program run by Ecology, provides opportunities for young adults and veterans to gain hands-on environmental experience, field skills, formal training and funds for education.

If you know someone who wants to work outdoors in an active team atmosphere, send them our way! Our crew supervisors are currently reviewing applications, so apply today: www.ecy.wa.gov/wcc

Earn college credits through WCC

This year, WCC is offering opportunities to earn transferable college credits through a new partnership with Walla Walla Community College. Two college courses will be offered: Plant Anatomy and Morphology, and Introduction to Agriculture & Natural Resource Careers. These courses, taught by Walla Walla Community College professors, will debut at our June training conference. The courses are part of Walla Walla Community College’s Water Technology and Management and Agriculture degree programs. In addition, six-months or up to two years of WCC service qualifies as Cooperative Work Experience credits at Walla Walla Community College (non-transferable).

Our WCC outreach team spoke with Dave Stockdale, Director of the Water & Environmental Center at Walla Walla Community College, to learn more about what makes their programs unique:

“Our watershed ecology program is one of the few programs of its type at a community college in this region. We have students from all over the country that come to be in the watershed ecology program because it has a strong reputation. Our natural resources program combines ecology studies with technology and management skills, and makes a great platform for many career directions. We are also the only community college in the country offering an irrigation technology degree. Our agriculture degrees include options in precision ag, animal science, plant science and ag business. All of these programs are very hands-on, which is something that crew members can relate to. It’s about both learning and doing things.”

Your WCC job could get you college credit while working in
the field like these Walla Walla Community College students.
Photo courtesy of Dave Stockdale.

WCC members that enroll in the college’s Plant Anatomy and Morphology during our June training conference will take part in plant identification and other lab activities during the training week, then complete a series of follow-up online assignments and exams on their own. The Introduction to Agriculture and Natural Resource Careers course takes places entirely online, although participating members will meet in the evenings during June training week for hands-on class activities.

WCC members can apply credits earned through these courses to degrees at Walla Walla Community College, or transfer them to Washington State University and potentially other institutions across the state.

Dave Stockdale also described what sort of jobs Walla Walla Community College courses and degrees will help prepare students for:

“The graduates of our water technologies and management degree programs and agriculture degree programs have been able to find work with a variety of employers, including conservation and irrigation districts; Tribes; private businesses like water and soil quality testing companies; agri-business including irrigation management; USGS; environmental nonprofits’ colleges; and state agencies such as Washington’s Department of Ecology and the Department of Fish & Wildlife; and the Oregon Water Resources Department; and federal agencies including the Bureau of Land Management. There have also been alumni who now run their own residential landscaping/irrigation businesses.”

To learn more, visit the WCC training program.

Join WCC

Do you want to help the environment, meet great people and make a real difference? Recruitment for the 2016-2017 crew year will begin July 15, 2016. Join Ecology's Washington Conservation Corps, an AmeriCorps Program consisting of three subprograms: the core WCC, Veteran Conservation Corps and Puget SoundCorps.

Get environmental career experience, money for school and
make great friends in a job with WCC. 

See photos of the types of projects WCC members work on during their service in our WCC Projects Flickr set. Learn more and apply online today to become a member of WCC:

www.ecy.wa.gov/wcc