NC School of Technology students participating in the Be World Ready (BWR) International Field Studies (IFS) trip to Germany, October 19 to October 26, engaged in world-ready and work-ready activities before their trip even began.
The group was invited to Innio, an engine production facility in Welland, for a plant tour on Thursday, September 26. By visiting one of NC’s industry partners, students had the opportunity to experience and network at a local world-class manufacturing facility.
“I have never walked through a facility where the workers seemed so genuinely happy at all times,” said third-year Mechanical Engineering student, Samantha Jemison. “This tour really opened my eyes to what it means to work in a diverse, accepting, and responsible workplace environment.”
Jemison explains how Innio invests in a diverse workforce. “As a female in a male-dominated industry, I was very excited to see so many female workers. Considering how lovely the facility was, it is clear that a company that cares about diversity is a strong one.”
In addition to presenting an opportunity to meet students from other cohorts who will be participating in the IFS trip, the tour also supported students in furthering their understanding of manufacturing in a Canadian context. Gaining a deeper industry perspective before departing for their BWR IFS trip to Germany, students are able to gain a more holistic world-ready IFS experience as the Innio tour can serve as a comparison with manufacturing in Germany.
“Seeing such amazing machines and products come out of a facility so close to home is incredible,” said Jemison. “More than that, I now get to compare what I saw in Canada with what we will be seeing in Germany. Seeing foreign factories is one thing, but having something to benchmark them against so you can truly understand the differences will make this experience so much more than just a factory tour.”
Pictured are the students who participated in the Innio tour. The plant tour was a chance to meet other cohorts participating in the IFS trip, and bettering students understanding of manufacturing in a Canadian context.
School of Technology professor, Joseph Otta, arranged the tour and is the lead for the fall 2019 BWR IFS trip to Germany. “My goal for the tour at Innio was to expose students to a local advanced manufacturing facility before heading to Germany, where we will visit various automotive, automation, and food and beverage manufacturing facilities,” said Otta. “It was an experiential opportunity because we were able to observe and interact with skilled workers using similar equipment that students themselves have put their hands on in our Mechanical Technology labs. In addition to the impressive technology, students were immersed in the innovative, problem solving work culture being fostered on the factory floor.”
Third-year Mechanical Engineering Technology student, Dale VandenDool, said, “From the moment I stepped in the door to the moment I left, the faculty and staff were proud to share their knowledge and insights of the extraordinary facility they work at. I was in awe of the massive, expertly worked on engines and the cleanliness of their work stations. The people at Innio do a great job making their engines and displaying them.”
Mechanical Engineering Technology professor, Aaron Shatkosky, also attended the site visit. “The Innio plant tour allowed students to witness real-world business operations, enabling them to see and validate what they are learning in the classroom and how it aligns with their industry. It was also a great opportunity for students to witness a fairly progressive approach to employee relations and intent to implement new technology in a local setting.”
“I teach many of the students who are participating in the upcoming BWR IFS trip to Germany and am looking forward to speaking to the students upon their return about what they learned during their time abroad.”
Daud Khan, a third-year Mechnical Engineering Technology student, shared how the tour allowed the students to become more work-ready and world-ready. “The tour allowed us to experience in a short time what sort of work awaits us out in the field as we met many employees who were graduates of the very same program we are enrolled in. It also allowed us to get a sense of how health and safety is handled when dealing with such large groups and that is valuable experience for our BWR trip to Germany.”
“Lastly, it showed us how deeply the faculty care and strive for our success by the doing all they possibly can to prepare us for the real world. I, and the rest of my class will be forever grateful,” said Khan.
The Be World Ready program is dedicated to ensuring NC students are afforded opportunities which connect their applied local learning to a global context. For more information on how you can take your classroom to the world, visit beworldready.ca.
