As you explore your postsecondary options, a good starting point is identifying your interests and finding programs that align. If you’re passionate about the environment and have a knack for computers and technology, Mohawk College’s Bachelor of Technology – Sustainability could be the perfect fit.
Mohawk College has recently launched two new programs in sustainability: a 3-year Bachelor of Technology – Sustainability and a 4-year Honours Bachelor of Technology – Sustainability.
In this blog, we’ll explore some of the reasons why an education with a focus on sustainability is worth considering, the qualities that make students a great fit, details about the program and Mohawk College, and the types of careers you could look for with a sustainability degree.
How important is sustainability to you?
Let’s start by taking a look at how much you think about sustainability in your daily life and previous or current schooling. This can help you determine if sustainability as a broad field of study and potentially a future career would be a rewarding path for you.
As this is a newer area of focus for postsecondary education, some of your teachers, parents, and other adults in your life may be unfamiliar with the growing range of programs available that address climate issues—or the wide variety of careers available to graduates in this field.
Here are some questions to ask yourself to determine if a program that focuses on the environment and working with technology on common climate challenges might be a great option for you.
Quiz: Could considering degrees that help the environment be the right choice for me?
- What school subjects do you enjoy the most?
- Do you love science, geography, business, computer science, technology or social studies? These subjects often align with sustainability careers.
- Have you ever been curious about how things are made or how they impact the environment?
- Whether it’s clothing, food or energy, sustainability explores how products and processes can be improved to reduce harm to the planet.
- Do you like solving real-world problems?
- This could be as simple as finding new ways to make it easier for your family to recycle household waste or school projects where you have to invent a business, a solution or create a model.
- Sustainability professionals tackle challenges like climate change, waste management and sustainable business practices.
- Are you interested in technology and how it can create a greener future?
- This program includes courses on data analytics, technological solutions, business strategies and how using technology and tools can help sustainability efforts.
- Have you ever participated in volunteer work, school clubs or community projects related to the environment or social impact?
- Activities like planting trees, recycling programs or community outreach indicate you have a natural interest in sustainability.
- What kinds of books, documentaries or movies interest you the most?
- Do you enjoy content about nature, climate change, innovation or social justice? These themes often connect with sustainability careers.
- Do you prefer working with people, analyzing data, or hands-on projects?
- This program blends all three: collaborating with teams, working with data and applying technology to real-world problems.
- Would you like a career that allows you to make a positive impact on the world?
- Sustainability careers help businesses, governments and communities create a healthier planet and society.
- Are you open to working in different industries, from technology to business to government?
- Sustainability is a versatile field with job opportunities in energy, policy, consulting and more.
- Where do you see yourself in the future?
- If you picture yourself in a job that combines innovation, leadership and meaningful change, this program could be the perfect stepping stone.
If you answered "yes" to several of these questions, you might be a great fit for a sustainability-focused education and career!
Could you become a sustainability leader?
Big businesses, government organizations and non-profit foundations are all looking for leaders in sustainability. This need will only grow in the future. As climate change continues to evolve, more businesses embrace responsible practices and governments set strict goals for carbon emissions. Choosing to focus on sustainability with a Bachelor of Technology - Sustainability degree can help set you up for future success, as companies are hiring sustainability experts in a wide range of industries.
But what makes someone a sustainability leader? Beyond just having the background education, leaders have the following qualities and skills:
Problem solvers
Leaders aren’t afraid of a challenge and look at all the information (usually data provided by technology) to come up with potential solutions. Just because a problem is hard to solve doesn’t mean it’s impossible. Real leaders believe an answer is always out there and it’s their passion to find it.
If you love a good math problem, building websites and finding the bugs, or even business-related projects where you have to try and solve challenges facing our world today, you are likely a problem-solver in the making.
Curiosity
The best leaders look for answers anywhere and everywhere. From data to Indigenous teachings that focus on stewardship of our environment, leaders aren’t afraid to look to outside expertise and keep learning. A curious nature helps grow your mind and learn new perspectives.
If you like research projects, looking at patterns in science or math, or seeing how events in history connect, your curious mind could help distinguish you as a leader in your future.
Collaborative
Enjoying working with others and sharing ideas are traits that distinguish great leaders. By encouraging everyone to share their thoughts, giving credit where it’s due, and pulling your weight so the workload is fair, you can help inspire others and create the best solutions.
Have you ever been a captain of one of your sports teams, or the president of a club like the student council or a debate team? Maybe you enjoy group projects where you all get the chance to present and do your part. All of these are great examples of enjoying collaboration with others and flexing your leadership skills.
What you’ll learn with a Bachelor of Technology – Sustainability
In the 3-year Bachelor’s degree or 4-year Honours Bachelor’s degree, students will learn essential concepts, technology, communication skills and gain the hands-on experience they need to succeed in sustainability careers.
Subjects at a glance
Some of the essential skills and subjects the Bachelor of Technology - Sustainability degrees will cover include:
- environmental studies with a focus on:
- renewable energy
- sustainable building design
- natural resource management
- how to use sustainable technologies
- developing management, leadership and communication skills
- how to look at data analytics to understand challenges and potential solutions
- how to manage a project and all the teammates involved from start to finish
- effective methods for using new technologies, addressing the need for climate action and how to implement sustainability initiatives while staying within a project or company’s scope and budget
- practice creating policies that guide the sustainability efforts for businesses, governments and/or other interested groups.
Types of projects
To help students gain real-world industry or community-based experience, these sustainability degrees wrap up with a capstone project. This final project gives students hands-on experience and the opportunity to take what they’ve learned throughout the program to solve a real-world problem. Completing this project will require students to work with industry partners to research, design, and present a solution related to sustainability using the technology studied throughout the program.
For example, students may work with a business in their community and create a plan to reduce waste and help the organization in finding technological solutions to meet their carbon emission goals. From suggesting ways to reduce waste throughout the production process, designing a renewable energy solution or using data to find areas where environmental policies could improve outcomes, students can think of their capstone projects as mock business proposals.
This style of project not only helps students get experience in the type of projects they will need to tackle after graduation, but it can also help secure internships or future positions by being a great addition to a resume.
What could a future career look like?
After graduation, students will have the skills they need to drive meaningful change in a diverse range of organizations and communities as leaders in sustainability. Many industries are actively seeking employees with a background in sustainability or a Bachelor of Technology, giving students the flexibility to pursue careers in the field that interests them most.
Recent surveys by ECO Canada found that specializations in sustainability were the largest skillset employers were looking for in environmental job postings. This job trend is predicted to rise continuously over time after experts witnessed a 9% increase in these types of jobs after just one year.
Ontario’s environmental workforce is expected to grow by over 55,000 new jobs by 2033—with a total of 181,750 job openings due to new roles and retirements. That’s equivalent to 36% of the current environmental workforce.
You could build a meaningful career in areas such as energy—like oil, gas or mining—where there’s a growing need for sustainable practices and business model innovation. Opportunities also exist in clean energy companies, government sectors like fisheries, wildlife management or natural resources, as well as creating government policies or helping some of your favourite brands become certified B-Corporations by improving company-wide sustainability efforts.
If you’re still wondering, “is a sustainability degree worth it?” here are some potential careers and job responsibilities:
- Change Management Consultant/Analyst: Help companies introduce new ideas, systems or strategies and guide all the teams through changes that need to be made.
- Sustainability Specialist/Coordinator: Work with businesses or communities to brainstorm and bring to life eco-friendly programs.
- Climate Change Coordinator/Analyst: Study climate-specific data and help organizations create plans to help reduce their impact on the environment and potential risks associated with a changing climate.
- Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Specialist: Help businesses make responsible choices by improving environmental efforts, social policies and business practices, while addressing possible concerns to their bottom line.
- ESG Risk Advisor: Find areas where poor sustainability practices or policies could harm a company’s reputation or finances and help them avoid that risk by suggesting more responsible decisions.
- ESG Compliance Officer: Ensure businesses are following sustainability laws, guidelines and corporate responsibility standards to meet government or industry-wide expectations.
What these careers share is a commitment to protecting the environment by supporting education and positive change. Sometimes that means guiding a single team or fellow leader through policy changes—other times it involves influencing entire businesses or government organizations. The skills these types of roles require can also apply to a wide range of jobs, and the ability to change your areas of focus or the type of industry you work in is already a common practice.
There’s potential for you to work for agencies or firms that specialize in sustainability and get hired by different businesses for support, providing lots of variety in project types and challenges. Consultants often create their own businesses, allowing them to choose the projects that inspire them most.
According to Statistics Canada, in 2023, the environmental and clean technology sector employed approximately 354,257 workers, accounting for 1.7% of all jobs in Canada. The average annual compensation in this sector was $105,768, significantly higher than the national average of $76,213.
Why consider Mohawk College
Conveniently located in the city of Hamilton, Ontario, Mohawk College’s Fennell Campus provides students with excellent resources like state-of-the-art labs, a health and wellness centre, and food options. Students can enjoy the wide range of activities, restaurants, festivals and perks that come with living in a welcoming city.
The campus is easily accessible by local transit, and on-campus residence is available for students who want to join a vibrant community of students and have a short walk to campus.
Our expert faculty built this program with a range of industry experience and connections to ensure graduates are equipped with technical expertise, interdisciplinary knowledge, and hands-on experience in sustainable technologies to succeed in complex sustainability roles. Our goal for every student, in every program, is to help you become future ready.
What next?
To learn more about these new programs, please contact the School of Climate Action at climateaction [at] mohawkcollege.ca (climateaction[at]mohawkcollege[dot]ca) or book a campus tour to learn more about sustainability-focused degree programs at Mohawk College. This program is now available for students to apply through the Ontario Colleges website, where you can also find more details about these degrees.
Published November 10, 2025
