Student Rangers

• Provide short-term employment opportunities for students, to be exposed to working for the Ministry at BC Parks and the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy
• Offer student workers a diversity of experiences and training opportunities to develop their knowledge or skillsets
• Facilitate Indigenous student involvement in projects within BC Parks and Protected Areas that are being undertaken on culturally significant sites and traditional territories of Indigenous communities across the province 
• Provide student workers with an opportunity to foster their interest in caring for B.C.’s natural spaces
• Align crew projects with the BC Parks’ strategies and related regional priorities to maintain and enhance BC Parks natural and cultural values and recreational opportunities and assets
• Promote the Ministry and BC Parks as an employer of choice for future career planning

Requirements to be a Student Ranger Crew Lead

• Enrolled in full-time studies at an accredited secondary or post-secondary institution within the past six-months
• Demonstrated previous experience leading a group of two or more to complete a project or task during an academic, work, community, Nation or volunteer experience

Preference may be given to candidates who have experience leading projects or tasks in the outdoors or involve a component of safety planning.

• Between 18 – 30 years of age
• Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or person who has been granted refugee status in Canada
• Legally entitled to work according to the relevant provincial/territorial legislation and regulations
• Must possess and maintain a valid BC Class 5 Driver’s Licence, or equivalent [BC Class 7L/7N are not considered equivalent]. Must be able to provide a driver’s abstract upon request
• Successful completion of security screening requirements of the BC Public Service, which may include a criminal records check, or Criminal Records Review Act [CRRA] check, and/or enhanced security screening checks as required by the ministry
• 2022 Student Ranger Crew Leads and Crew Members are encouraged to apply for these 2023 Crew Lead positions

Requirements to be a Student Ranger Crew Member

• Enrolled in full-time studies at an accredited secondary or post-secondary institution within the past six months
• Demonstrated previous experience working in a group of two or more to complete a project or task during an academic, work, community, Nation or volunteer experience

Preference may be given to candidates who have experience completing projects or tasks in the outdoors or involve a component of safety planning.

• Between 18 and 30 years of age
• Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or person who has been granted refugee status in Canada
• Legally entitled to work according to the relevant provincial/territorial legislation and regulations
• Must possess and maintain a valid BC Class 5 Driver’s Licence, or equivalent [BC Class 7L/7N are not considered equivalent]. Must be able to provide a driver’s abstract upon request
• Must participate and successfully pass the training requirements at the program training event
• Successful completion of security screening requirements of the BC Public Service, which may include a criminal records check, and/or Criminal Records Review Act [CRRA] check, or enhanced security screening checks as required by the ministry
• Previous Student Ranger Crew Members are not eligible for current Crew Member positions

Desirable skills and experience for Crew Lead position

• Leading a diverse team to perform project work
• Experience and knowledge in the four program areas
  • Conservation
  • Recreation
  • Indigenous relations
  • Community outreach and education
• Experience hiking long distances
• Experience travelling or camping in remote environments and backcountry areas
• Knowledge of outdoor safety procedures and application
• Experience or knowledge of field equipment and tool use
• Experience listening to and applying the ideas of others from different backgrounds
• Willing and able to perform daily physical project work
• Conflict resolution and team management
• Time management and organizational skills

Desirable skills and experience for Crew Member position

• Willingness to work as a member of a diverse team
• Experience or knowledge in the four program areas
  • Conservation
  • Recreation
  • Indigenous relations
  • Community outreach and education
• Experience hiking long distances
• Experience travelling or camping in remote environments and backcountry areas
• Experience or knowledge of field equipment and tool use
• Willing and able to perform daily physical project work

Further information about Student Ranger job requirements and desirable skills and experience will be provided in the job postings for Crew Leads and Crew Members positions.

Each crew will be assigned to a Crew Contact (BC Parks staff member) who will be the supervisor of their crew. Crews will have the opportunity to work alongside their Crew Contact and other BC Parks staff in projects within BC Parks and Protected Areas. Each crew will consist of a Crew Lead and Crew Members. The number and locations of crews for this season are currently under review.

Hourly Pay for Crew Lead and Crew Member positions will be as per the current BCGEU Collective Agreement and can be found on the salary look-up tool.

• Crew Leads are classified as Park Assistant 9
• Crew Members are classified as Youth Employment 1 or 2

Crew locations

Crews will be recruited, hired, and employed by BC Parks across BC Parks. Locations for crews during the 2023 season include:

• Black Creek (Miracle Beach Provincial Park)
• Fort St. John
• Kamloops
• Nelson
• North Vancouver
• Penticton
• Prince George
• Smithers
• Squamish
• Terrace
• Victoria
• Williams Lake

Further details about each location can be found in the Appendix, located in the Additional Information section at the bottom of the posting.

We are currently finalizing our needs for the upcoming season and considering crews at the following locations: Dease Lake, Mount Robson, Bella Coola, Port Renfrew, Fort Nelson.

Crew training and development

Youth are the next generation leaders and thinkers; they are the future. The BC Parks Student Ranger Program was designed with the intent to promote youth engagement with the land and to encourage their passion and interest.

The program aims to hire a minimum of 30% Indigenous youth to the program each year. Creating opportunities for Indigenous youth is a high priority for the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy.

An objective of the Student Ranger Program is to provide youth with skills and knowledge they can apply towards future employment in related fields of work. Providing Student Rangers with basic training and learning experiences can help further their success of reaching future employment goals. Types of training opportunities that Student Rangers can expect to receive during the season include:

• Orientation to the Ministry and BC Parks
• Public outreach and education
• Cultural diversity training
• Field safety protocols and procedures
• Invasive plant identification and removal
• Trail building and maintenance
• BC Parks conservation, recreation and cultural projects

By having a crew lead for each crew, the lead will develop team-leadership, management, and organizational skills. Crew Members will have an opportunity to work under a crew leader and within a diverse team, to build on their ability to work with others in planning and executing projects.

BC Parks staff develop crew projects in the four program areas of Conservation, Recreation, Indigenous Relations and Community Outreach. Given BC Parks priorities for specific projects during each season, it is not guaranteed that every crew will have exposure to projects in each program area. The table below includes the types of projects that Student Rangers may be involved in during their season.

Being a Student Ranger is a great opportunity to work outside for the summer, learn new skills, meet new people and be engaged in rewarding work. The job can be physically challenging at times, but the result of a crew’s hard work can be extremely rewarding.

Student Ranger crews are assigned a point of assembly office location where they base themselves for the season. Depending on the crew and planned season work, crews may start every day at their point of assembly and then travel to the assigned worksite for the day. Other crews may find they are often travelling from their point of assembly office to stay overnight at the worksite for multiple nights at a time. Worksites within Parks and Protected Areas can be up to a full-days drive from the point of assembly office and therefore staying at the worksite overnight is necessary to complete work. Accommodation (tent or cabin), meal allowances, and camping gear will be provided to Student Rangers when camping overnight for work.

Crews schedules can also vary. Some crews may work week days, while others on week-ends. Shift lengths (work hours and number of days per week) can also differ between crews. More information on work schedules, hours of work and specific projects will be provided to applicants at the interview stage of this competition. Applicants for Student Ranger positions need to be aware of the nature of field work, in that schedules can change due unforeseen circumstances. Being flexible to a variable schedule is recommended for those applying to Student Ranger positions.

• Location Appendix [PDF]
• BC Parks Licence Plate Program
• Project Learning Tree: Green Jobs in Green Spaces
• Canadian Parks Council

To find out more details on the BC Parks Student Ranger Program, contact the Program Coordinator (Parks.StudentRangers@gov.bc.ca).