The following is a general overview of the conservation officer selection process. While the number and order of these steps may vary somewhat, depending upon individual circumstances, applicants should expect that the process could take upwards of 3-4 months to administer.
Additional information on employment within the BC public service can be found in the BC Public Service Agency policy on hiring and deployment.
1. Job Posting
Job opportunities with the Conservation Officer Service (COS) are posted on the BC Government Employment Opportunities website.
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Roadside Inspection |
Generally, the COS considers applications once a year, establishing an eligibility list to fill known and anticipated vacancies for a 12-month period.
The annual intake for entry-level positions
(CO 21) usually occurs during the late summer
and into the early fall, in preparation for the Western Conservation Law Enforcement
Academy. Vacancies may be posted for 2-4
weeks.
2. Submit Your Application
Once you have determined you can satisfy the position’s basic requirements, submit your application for an advertised vacancy using the BC Public Service Recruitment System, available on the Employment Opportunities website. The Conservation Officer Service is unable to accept applications directly.
You may be required to complete a short questionnaire at the time your application is submitted. The questionnaire records basic information on the nature and extent of your qualifications (e.g. education and experience) and is used to assist with the short-listing process.
Please note: Be sure your application clearly and concisely identifies how you meet the position’s selection criteria, including:
- education
- work experience
- knowledge
- skills and abilities
- competencies
3. Short-listing
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Angler Check |
Once the posting closes, applications are reviewed to identify candidates whose qualifications meet the position’s selection criteria. If a large number of applicants satisfy the position’s minimum requirements, the Conservation Officer Service may create a short-list using preferred qualifications identified in the job posting.
Where appropriate, a written assessment may be used
to further narrow the short-list. In these circumstances, applicants will be given significant advance warning of
this requirement, including detailed completion instructions.
Estimated completion time: 1-2 weeks. As well, applicants who are invited to an interview will be provided with 1-2 weeks’ notice in order to prepare and make any necessary travel arrangements.
4. Panel Interview
Short-listed applicants will be invited to a panel interview. While the invitation package will provide you with some important tips to help you prepare, you can generally expect the following:
- the interview panel will be comprised of three to four persons
- the interview will run 45-60 minutes
- the interview will assess your life skills, experience and abilities
- the interview will focus on competency-based questions
While this is a difficult stage for many candidates, the key to success is preparation. This is particularly true with respect to a competency-based assessment, where applicants must describe how they have demonstrated the position’s behavioural competencies. To do so, you may draw on experiences from work, school, volunteering or personal life. As well, while examples should be as recent as possible, a good example from five years ago is better than a weak example from six months ago.
For more information, review the competencies webpage on the Employment Opportunities website.
Estimated completion time: 1-2 weeks.
5. Past Work Performance (Reference) Checks
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Force Options Training |
Past work performance is one of the best predictors of future performance and will be assessed for all top-ranked applicants (i.e. those applicants who may be placed on an eligibility list). At this stage in the process, the assessment of past work performance will involve employment references, one of which must be from a supervisor or equivalent.
A reference check involves seeking factual, job-related evidence from a third party who has observed the applicant at work and then evaluating that information
to assess its veracity. Such an assessment can serve several purposes, including:
- validation of the information provided during the panel interview
- gathering additional evidence of past achievements to better predict future performance
- confirmation of employment history, including the dates of previous jobs and the reasons for leaving
- testing assumptions or clarifying concerns that have arisen during the selection process
Estimated completion time: 1-2 weeks.
6. Eligibility List / Conditional Appointment
Following reference checks, top ranked applicants will be placed on a provisional eligibility list. The number of eligible applicants placed on a specific list will depend on the number of anticipated vacancies for the coming year.
In order to maintain their placement on a provisional eligibility list, a candidate must submit proof of the following if they have not done so already:
- Valid driver’s license, Class 5 or higher
- Occupational First Aid Level 1 or equivalent
- Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) Certification
- successful completion of the Physical Abilities Requirement Evaluation (PARE) or Police Officer Physical Abilities Test (POPAT)
As well, candidates must be at least 19 years of age and agree to meet the terms and conditions outlined in the:
Subsequent to the above, the Conservation Officer Service will finalize the list and extend conditional offers of employment in rank order of merit. The number of employment offers will be limited at this point in time to the number of spaces which have been allocated to the COS for the Western Conservation Law Enforcement Academy (WCLEA).**
Once a conditional offer of employment is accepted, an applicant must qualify through the following assessments:
- security
- medical
- psychological
See our basic requirements for further information on these evaluations.
Estimated completion time: 4-6 weeks.
**Note: WCLEA is a joint initiative of conservation law enforcement agencies from Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Alberta, the Yukon Territory, and British Columbia. A limited number of seats are allocated to each agency based on their individual recruitment needs and the total number of officers that any one training academy can manage.
7. Confirmation of Employment / Commencement of Training
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Food Conditioned Bear |
If found suitable following security screening and a medical and psychological evaluation, an individual’s appointment as a conservation officer can be confirmed. However, most new officers will be engaged at the
CO18 level until successful completion of their six month recruit training program. During this period, recruit officers are on probation and their performance continually monitored and assessed.
More specifically, the COS recruit training program consists of the following 2 components or blocks:
Block I - Academy
As noted previously, recruit officers spend 12-16 weeks at the Western Conservation Law Enforcement Academy (WCLEA). Currently, the curriculum places heavy emphasis on field skills and legal studies, including classroom and practical instruction in the following areas:
| • ATV Operations |
• Investigations |
| • Cross Cultural Awareness |
• Legal Studies |
| • Emergency Vehicle Operations |
• MED A3 / SVOP |
| • Emergency Survival |
• Small and Large Prop Vessels |
| • Law Enforcement Ethics |
• Swift Water Rescue |
| • Firearms (rifle, shotgun, pistol) |
• Snowmobile Operations |
| • Use of Force Options |
• Water Safety |
| • Human Wildlife Conflicts |
• 4 X 4 driving |
| • Ice Safety |
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Block II - Field Training
Upon graduation from WCLEA, recruit officers spend three months under the close supervision of an experienced conservation officer, or “field trainer”, applying and refining the knowledge and skills gained during Block I.
A key part of Block II training includes:
- instruction in COS policy and procedure,
- further refinement of an officer’s understanding of the COS’ legal mandate
- practical instruction in the application of legal principles in an enforcement role
Where possible, field training will occur at or near the officer’s home town (if residing in BC) or at or near the officer’s final posting (if known).
8. Deployment
Following the six month recruit training program, officers will be promoted to the CO21 level, if appropriate, and posted to a permanent position in a COS field office as vacancies arise.
Contact Us
For further information, contact the Officer in Charge of Staff Development, Training and Recruiting at:
Ministry of Environment
Conservation Officer Service
PO Box 9376 Stn Prov Govt
Victoria, BC V8W 9M5 |
Conservation Officer Service 
