Megan Nolan
Blog 2: Why Choose Shipbuilding
April 20, 2021
It is almost impossible for me to believe that my final days as a Co-Op student at Irving Shipbuilding (ISI) are here. On a positive note, at the end of April I will transition into a full-time role! Looking back, I am surprised at how I was able to witness first-hand the endless opportunities at ISI. After starting out in a Co-Op role with the Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ship program, working on the data management side of shipbuilding in Business Intelligence and Integration (BII), I returned for my second term to something completely different – working on the Canadian Surface Combatant (CSC) within Platform Systems. Now as an employee, I will be making another big change to work with the Combat Systems side of CSC!
My time as a student here was amazing! I have so many people I want to thank for making my experience successful. My team at Platform Systems of course – I have learned so much from interacting with everyone and learning from their diverse experiences in shipbuilding! My current manager, who kept me engaged with work that was of interest to me, and for allowing me to stay for so long. A shout out is also warranted to the people in my first team here at ISI (BII), along with my next team – who have been working hard to keep me up-to-date to help with my upcoming job transition. Last but certainly not least, I want to thank Human Resources for always being so helpful when I was trying to figure out options to stay at ISI!
I also want to thank everyone who has been keeping up with each blog post! I hope that over the span of the past 4 months, you have enjoyed reading about some of the things I have learned from this experience.
I hope my experience has shown that if you are looking for a meaningful Co-Op experience with a company that will show interest in your personal growth and success and provide meaningful work; you know where to look!
Some of you may be reading my blog posts and thinking “Okay what you’re telling us is great but is what you’re learning really something you’ll use forever?”. My answer to that question is the same as what your high school teachers said when you used to ask them if you’d ever really use what they’re teaching you in the real world: YES!
To reassure you, here are 4 things I think everyone will learn when they do a co-op term with JDI:
How you work
Working in a professional environment is a lot different than managing coursework at school. During a work term you’ll learn a lot about yourself, especially what it takes for you to be motivated and excited about your work. You’ll also be able to learn how best to prioritize your work and what helps you stay organized to get things done.
It’s good to take risks
To clarify, I’m not saying you should run wild and try to do everything yourself. What I mean is that after you’re comfortable with your role, sometimes it’s good to take a chance with something or make an independent decision. You might end up being wrong or making a mistake, but that’s just another chance for you to learn.
The work culture you want
School is way different than a professional work environment because most of the people around you are the same age and dealing with the same problems. Working in a “real” work environment for a co-op term can help you figure out the culture you’ll be looking for when you start your career. Luckily for me, the culture at Lake Utopia is a definite example of what I’d like to be a part of. Everyone is friendly, welcoming and approachable – which is great for a student who has a lot of questions.
What your future career will be
My supervisor told me that there are three “L’s” that will help you decide what your full-time job will look like: Love, Location and Lifestyle. One of the things your co-op term will help you figure out is if you love that industry, job, or company. You can adjust your future job searches accordingly when you know what you love from an actual experience. Location and lifestyle might not be as easy to figure out as a student, but you have to wake up every day and do your job, so loving what you do is really important.
Blog 1: First Weeks as an Engineering Student at the CSC Program
January 29, 2021
Hey there!
My name is Megan Nolan, I am in my last semester, (finally!), of Ocean and Naval Architectural Engineering at Memorial University of Newfoundland and I’m currently working with Irving Shipbuilding Inc. My program has been long and challenging, but I wouldn’t change a thing. I’ve been lucky enough to study something that truly interests me, all while having the chance to travel, (which was during pre-COVID-19 times of course!) and gain experience working for amazing companies such as J.D. Irving.
So, I first began with Irving Shipbuilding (ISI) back in January 2020 working on the Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ship (AOPS) program. At the time, it was my fifth engineering co-op term, and the second in a shipyard environment. I had developed a sort of “expectation” of how most co-op terms would go. Working at Irving Shipbuilding was different than anything I’ve experienced so far! I was encouraged to lead multiple initiatives which allowed me to learn so much about a new technical field. As I was finishing my last term, I knew that there was still so much left to be learned here and that I definitely wanted to return to JDI somehow.
In my past co-op terms, I’ve had extremely valuable experiences working with various types of processes, regulations, and software within the marine industry. However, it was always a goal of mine to observe the ship design process from a position directly related to what I’m studying. I earned an opportunity to join the team working on the Canadian Surface Combatant (CSC) program, and I am now in my fourth month of a completely different— but just as exciting— work experience within ISI! In my current position, I work with both the Naval Architecture team, as well as the Hull Outfitting & Aviation team within the Platform Systems department. In addition to some main projects, my tasks may vary from day-to-day, meaning I am already being exposed to and learning so much in this role.
It has been very exciting, as well as technically challenging so far – I feel very fortunate to have this opportunity and I hope you’ll find some of my experiences interesting to read about! Check back in throughout the next few months to hear more about being a student with J.D. Irving at ISI, including the valuable skills and relationships I am building, as well as some interesting things I’ll be exposed to while working in an industry as unique and complex as shipbuilding!
Some of you may be reading my blog posts and thinking “Okay what you’re telling us is great but is what you’re learning really something you’ll use forever?”. My answer to that question is the same as what your high school teachers said when you used to ask them if you’d ever really use what they’re teaching you in the real world: YES!
To reassure you, here are 4 things I think everyone will learn when they do a co-op term with JDI:
How you work
Working in a professional environment is a lot different than managing coursework at school. During a work term you’ll learn a lot about yourself, especially what it takes for you to be motivated and excited about your work. You’ll also be able to learn how best to prioritize your work and what helps you stay organized to get things done.
It’s good to take risks
To clarify, I’m not saying you should run wild and try to do everything yourself. What I mean is that after you’re comfortable with your role, sometimes it’s good to take a chance with something or make an independent decision. You might end up being wrong or making a mistake, but that’s just another chance for you to learn.
The work culture you want
School is way different than a professional work environment because most of the people around you are the same age and dealing with the same problems. Working in a “real” work environment for a co-op term can help you figure out the culture you’ll be looking for when you start your career. Luckily for me, the culture at Lake Utopia is a definite example of what I’d like to be a part of. Everyone is friendly, welcoming and approachable – which is great for a student who has a lot of questions.
What your future career will be
My supervisor told me that there are three “L’s” that will help you decide what your full-time job will look like: Love, Location and Lifestyle. One of the things your co-op term will help you figure out is if you love that industry, job, or company. You can adjust your future job searches accordingly when you know what you love from an actual experience. Location and lifestyle might not be as easy to figure out as a student, but you have to wake up every day and do your job, so loving what you do is really important.
I will never forget my first day of my first term at Irving Shipbuilding, as I walked through Halifax Shipyard for the first time. At the end of orientation, all the new hires, (several of which were co-op students from my own university!) were brought on a tour of the yard to see shipbuilding in action. It was quite a significant thing to witness in person.
It is a massive production line that extends 4 football fields – with several ships in various stages of production. Plates of steel are mark the beginning of the ship as you enter the Assembly Hall. Laser cutters make precision cuts for the steel to be welded and formed. As you move down the hall the mega blocks (there are 3) are taking shape. At the end of the Assembly Hall, the awesome mega block is in front of the massive blue hangar door, ready to be moved 27 metres high, 2600 tonnes of ship!
Caption: Stern and Centre Mega Blocks for the third Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ship, the future HMCS Max Bernays move from the Assembly Hall at Halifax Shipyard to be joined at land level, January 2021.
Stern megablock (1) being moved alongside centre megablock (2)
A lot has changed since that first tour of the Halifax Shipyard. Those steel plates I was initially surrounded by at the entrance of the building are now pictured above in the form of the recently moved Mega Blocks for the third of six Artic and Offshore Patrol Ship (AOPS) being built for the Royal Canadian Navy. This move was a major milestone for the program.
In addition, during my 2020 co-op term, HCMS Harry DeWolf (AOPS 1) was being prepared for test and trials – it has since been delivered to Canada’s Navy and is in active service. At the same time, the Canadian Surface Combatant (CSC) program has been progressing quickly! The team is working on the Preliminary Design Phase right now to ensure the CSC design is meets the requirements set out by Canada for the various missions the Royal Canadian Navy will undertake with this new class of ship. Everyone is working hard to have everything ready in time for when the fast-paced build of AOPS ships has concluded.
It is an exciting place to be as a Naval Architect – part of a new era of sophisticated ships. There is always something new –and interesting— to be observed or learned. Adapting quickly and using every opportunity to take in something new has meant some really rewarding assignments!
Blog 6: Not farewell...but thank you!
February 12, 2021
I will never forget my first day of my first term at Irving Shipbuilding, as I walked through Halifax Shipyard for the first time. At the end of orientation, all the new hires, (several of which were co-op students from my own university!) were brought on a tour of the yard to see shipbuilding in action. It was quite a significant thing to witness in person.
It is a massive production line that extends 4 football fields – with several ships in various stages of production. Plates of steel are mark the beginning of the ship as you enter the Assembly Hall. Laser cutters make precision cuts for the steel to be welded and formed. As you move down the hall the mega blocks (there are 3) are taking shape. At the end of the Assembly Hall, the awesome mega block is in front of the massive blue hangar door, ready to be moved 27 metres high, 2600 tonnes of ship!
Caption: Stern and Centre Mega Blocks for the third Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ship, the future HMCS Max Bernays move from the Assembly Hall at Halifax Shipyard to be joined at land level, January 2021.
Stern megablock (1) being moved alongside centre megablock (2)
A lot has changed since that first tour of the Halifax Shipyard. Those steel plates I was initially surrounded by at the entrance of the building are now pictured above in the form of the recently moved Mega Blocks for the third of six Artic and Offshore Patrol Ship (AOPS) being built for the Royal Canadian Navy. This move was a major milestone for the program.
In addition, during my 2020 co-op term, HCMS Harry DeWolf (AOPS 1) was being prepared for test and trials – it has since been delivered to Canada’s Navy and is in active service. At the same time, the Canadian Surface Combatant (CSC) program has been progressing quickly! The team is working on the Preliminary Design Phase right now to ensure the CSC design is meets the requirements set out by Canada for the various missions the Royal Canadian Navy will undertake with this new class of ship. Everyone is working hard to have everything ready in time for when the fast-paced build of AOPS ships has concluded.
It is an exciting place to be as a Naval Architect – part of a new era of sophisticated ships. There is always something new –and interesting— to be observed or learned. Adapting quickly and using every opportunity to take in something new has meant some really rewarding assignments!
Some of you may be reading my blog posts and thinking “Okay what you’re telling us is great but is what you’re learning really something you’ll use forever?”. My answer to that question is the same as what your high school teachers said when you used to ask them if you’d ever really use what they’re teaching you in the real world: YES!
To reassure you, here are 4 things I think everyone will learn when they do a co-op term with JDI:
How you work
Working in a professional environment is a lot different than managing coursework at school. During a work term you’ll learn a lot about yourself, especially what it takes for you to be motivated and excited about your work. You’ll also be able to learn how best to prioritize your work and what helps you stay organized to get things done.
It’s good to take risks
To clarify, I’m not saying you should run wild and try to do everything yourself. What I mean is that after you’re comfortable with your role, sometimes it’s good to take a chance with something or make an independent decision. You might end up being wrong or making a mistake, but that’s just another chance for you to learn.
The work culture you want
School is way different than a professional work environment because most of the people around you are the same age and dealing with the same problems. Working in a “real” work environment for a co-op term can help you figure out the culture you’ll be looking for when you start your career. Luckily for me, the culture at Lake Utopia is a definite example of what I’d like to be a part of. Everyone is friendly, welcoming and approachable – which is great for a student who has a lot of questions.
What your future career will be
My supervisor told me that there are three “L’s” that will help you decide what your full-time job will look like: Love, Location and Lifestyle. One of the things your co-op term will help you figure out is if you love that industry, job, or company. You can adjust your future job searches accordingly when you know what you love from an actual experience. Location and lifestyle might not be as easy to figure out as a student, but you have to wake up every day and do your job, so loving what you do is really important.
I will never forget my first day of my first term at Irving Shipbuilding, as I walked through Halifax Shipyard for the first time. At the end of orientation, all the new hires, (several of which were co-op students from my own university!) were brought on a tour of the yard to see shipbuilding in action. It was quite a significant thing to witness in person.
It is a massive production line that extends 4 football fields – with several ships in various stages of production. Plates of steel are mark the beginning of the ship as you enter the Assembly Hall. Laser cutters make precision cuts for the steel to be welded and formed. As you move down the hall the mega blocks (there are 3) are taking shape. At the end of the Assembly Hall, the awesome mega block is in front of the massive blue hangar door, ready to be moved 27 metres high, 2600 tonnes of ship!
Caption: Stern and Centre Mega Blocks for the third Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ship, the future HMCS Max Bernays move from the Assembly Hall at Halifax Shipyard to be joined at land level, January 2021.
Stern megablock (1) being moved alongside centre megablock (2)
A lot has changed since that first tour of the Halifax Shipyard. Those steel plates I was initially surrounded by at the entrance of the building are now pictured above in the form of the recently moved Mega Blocks for the third of six Artic and Offshore Patrol Ship (AOPS) being built for the Royal Canadian Navy. This move was a major milestone for the program.
In addition, during my 2020 co-op term, HCMS Harry DeWolf (AOPS 1) was being prepared for test and trials – it has since been delivered to Canada’s Navy and is in active service. At the same time, the Canadian Surface Combatant (CSC) program has been progressing quickly! The team is working on the Preliminary Design Phase right now to ensure the CSC design is meets the requirements set out by Canada for the various missions the Royal Canadian Navy will undertake with this new class of ship. Everyone is working hard to have everything ready in time for when the fast-paced build of AOPS ships has concluded.
It is an exciting place to be as a Naval Architect – part of a new era of sophisticated ships. There is always something new –and interesting— to be observed or learned. Adapting quickly and using every opportunity to take in something new has meant some really rewarding assignments!
Blog 3: Virtual Learning - Presenting Online
March 2, 2021
This week, I had the opportunity to give a presentation on something I have been working on for quite some time. As most students know, presentations are not uncommon throughout school or work, but I’ve learned that giving presentations is a completely different experience with social distancing! Here are some take-aways from this experience:
Use fun backgrounds
Sometimes you may have to present from odd places (i.e. I once had to present from a hallway floor trying to get good Wi-Fi signal!). Sometimes it can be a good idea to use a Teams background to block out any unwanted background visuals, or even to represent the company!
Use your camera
I’m sure as most of us know during online classes – it can be easy to quickly turn off your camera when presenting/joining presentations online. However, from the audiences’ perspective, it can be much more engaging when they can see the presenter, rather than looking solely at presentation slides. If you prefer to not complete the entire presentation on camera - even introducing yourself and the topic on camera could make an impact!
Include visuals
I find it is much easier to gauge the audiences’ reaction and understanding of what you’re presenting when the presentation is in person. Including visuals where appropriate (i.e. pictures, videos, graphs) can help get your point across and might provide further clarity to the information.
Bonus note: We got a fun gift recently I thought I’d share – check out this cute Lego-style AOPS ship!
Some of you may be reading my blog posts and thinking “Okay what you’re telling us is great but is what you’re learning really something you’ll use forever?”. My answer to that question is the same as what your high school teachers said when you used to ask them if you’d ever really use what they’re teaching you in the real world: YES!
To reassure you, here are 4 things I think everyone will learn when they do a co-op term with JDI:
How you work
Working in a professional environment is a lot different than managing coursework at school. During a work term you’ll learn a lot about yourself, especially what it takes for you to be motivated and excited about your work. You’ll also be able to learn how best to prioritize your work and what helps you stay organized to get things done.
It’s good to take risks
To clarify, I’m not saying you should run wild and try to do everything yourself. What I mean is that after you’re comfortable with your role, sometimes it’s good to take a chance with something or make an independent decision. You might end up being wrong or making a mistake, but that’s just another chance for you to learn.
The work culture you want
School is way different than a professional work environment because most of the people around you are the same age and dealing with the same problems. Working in a “real” work environment for a co-op term can help you figure out the culture you’ll be looking for when you start your career. Luckily for me, the culture at Lake Utopia is a definite example of what I’d like to be a part of. Everyone is friendly, welcoming and approachable – which is great for a student who has a lot of questions.
What your future career will be
My supervisor told me that there are three “L’s” that will help you decide what your full-time job will look like: Love, Location and Lifestyle. One of the things your co-op term will help you figure out is if you love that industry, job, or company. You can adjust your future job searches accordingly when you know what you love from an actual experience. Location and lifestyle might not be as easy to figure out as a student, but you have to wake up every day and do your job, so loving what you do is really important.
I will never forget my first day of my first term at Irving Shipbuilding, as I walked through Halifax Shipyard for the first time. At the end of orientation, all the new hires, (several of which were co-op students from my own university!) were brought on a tour of the yard to see shipbuilding in action. It was quite a significant thing to witness in person.
It is a massive production line that extends 4 football fields – with several ships in various stages of production. Plates of steel are mark the beginning of the ship as you enter the Assembly Hall. Laser cutters make precision cuts for the steel to be welded and formed. As you move down the hall the mega blocks (there are 3) are taking shape. At the end of the Assembly Hall, the awesome mega block is in front of the massive blue hangar door, ready to be moved 27 metres high, 2600 tonnes of ship!
Caption: Stern and Centre Mega Blocks for the third Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ship, the future HMCS Max Bernays move from the Assembly Hall at Halifax Shipyard to be joined at land level, January 2021.
Stern megablock (1) being moved alongside centre megablock (2)
A lot has changed since that first tour of the Halifax Shipyard. Those steel plates I was initially surrounded by at the entrance of the building are now pictured above in the form of the recently moved Mega Blocks for the third of six Artic and Offshore Patrol Ship (AOPS) being built for the Royal Canadian Navy. This move was a major milestone for the program.
In addition, during my 2020 co-op term, HCMS Harry DeWolf (AOPS 1) was being prepared for test and trials – it has since been delivered to Canada’s Navy and is in active service. At the same time, the Canadian Surface Combatant (CSC) program has been progressing quickly! The team is working on the Preliminary Design Phase right now to ensure the CSC design is meets the requirements set out by Canada for the various missions the Royal Canadian Navy will undertake with this new class of ship. Everyone is working hard to have everything ready in time for when the fast-paced build of AOPS ships has concluded.
It is an exciting place to be as a Naval Architect – part of a new era of sophisticated ships. There is always something new –and interesting— to be observed or learned. Adapting quickly and using every opportunity to take in something new has meant some really rewarding assignments!
Blog 4: Staying Connected and Engaged Virtually
March 19, 2021
Next week (March 15th-19th) is National Co-op Student Week, and this year’s theme is focusing on the virtual experience that many students are currently having. Like most students, I have been dealing with the transition from in-person to virtual classes. After completing much of my degree in-person, it has been a stressful switch to this new format of learning – less communication, more distractions, and more work to keep on top of!
However, I have been very lucky in terms of how minimally my work life has been affected! Irving Shipbuilding has ensured there are many protocols in place to allow for everyone to safely come to the office each day. Working in an office environment during these times of Non-Medical Masks and social distancing has involved a lot of constant readjustment – guidance constantly changes depending on regional case numbers, so its challenging to establish a “normal routine”. Meeting room capacities commonly change or switch to Teams and in the span of a day as provincial guidance is revised, the workplace could be temporarily closed to respond to guidance from public health! I’ve been appreciating the importance of always being prepared and able to adapt quickly in the work environment.
Overall, COVID-19 has certainly complicated things. However, I appreciate having the opportunity to be in office and having the ability interact with co-workers (6 feet apart and masked of course!). I have found this really helps ideas move quicker in a technical environment, but also makes the job much more engaging. As an engineering co-op student, I believe being in-office has had significant benefits in terms of staying connected and engaged, while I make the most of this valuable learning experience.
Exciting news for me this week – I have been offered and accepted a permanent engineering position at Irving Shipbuilding for when I graduate in May! If you have an opportunity to have a work term with J.D. Irving or Irving Shipbuilding, definitely say ‘yes’!
Some of you may be reading my blog posts and thinking “Okay what you’re telling us is great but is what you’re learning really something you’ll use forever?”. My answer to that question is the same as what your high school teachers said when you used to ask them if you’d ever really use what they’re teaching you in the real world: YES!
To reassure you, here are 4 things I think everyone will learn when they do a co-op term with JDI:
How you work
Working in a professional environment is a lot different than managing coursework at school. During a work term you’ll learn a lot about yourself, especially what it takes for you to be motivated and excited about your work. You’ll also be able to learn how best to prioritize your work and what helps you stay organized to get things done.
It’s good to take risks
To clarify, I’m not saying you should run wild and try to do everything yourself. What I mean is that after you’re comfortable with your role, sometimes it’s good to take a chance with something or make an independent decision. You might end up being wrong or making a mistake, but that’s just another chance for you to learn.
The work culture you want
School is way different than a professional work environment because most of the people around you are the same age and dealing with the same problems. Working in a “real” work environment for a co-op term can help you figure out the culture you’ll be looking for when you start your career. Luckily for me, the culture at Lake Utopia is a definite example of what I’d like to be a part of. Everyone is friendly, welcoming and approachable – which is great for a student who has a lot of questions.
What your future career will be
My supervisor told me that there are three “L’s” that will help you decide what your full-time job will look like: Love, Location and Lifestyle. One of the things your co-op term will help you figure out is if you love that industry, job, or company. You can adjust your future job searches accordingly when you know what you love from an actual experience. Location and lifestyle might not be as easy to figure out as a student, but you have to wake up every day and do your job, so loving what you do is really important.
I will never forget my first day of my first term at Irving Shipbuilding, as I walked through Halifax Shipyard for the first time. At the end of orientation, all the new hires, (several of which were co-op students from my own university!) were brought on a tour of the yard to see shipbuilding in action. It was quite a significant thing to witness in person.
It is a massive production line that extends 4 football fields – with several ships in various stages of production. Plates of steel are mark the beginning of the ship as you enter the Assembly Hall. Laser cutters make precision cuts for the steel to be welded and formed. As you move down the hall the mega blocks (there are 3) are taking shape. At the end of the Assembly Hall, the awesome mega block is in front of the massive blue hangar door, ready to be moved 27 metres high, 2600 tonnes of ship!
Caption: Stern and Centre Mega Blocks for the third Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ship, the future HMCS Max Bernays move from the Assembly Hall at Halifax Shipyard to be joined at land level, January 2021.
Stern megablock (1) being moved alongside centre megablock (2)
A lot has changed since that first tour of the Halifax Shipyard. Those steel plates I was initially surrounded by at the entrance of the building are now pictured above in the form of the recently moved Mega Blocks for the third of six Artic and Offshore Patrol Ship (AOPS) being built for the Royal Canadian Navy. This move was a major milestone for the program.
In addition, during my 2020 co-op term, HCMS Harry DeWolf (AOPS 1) was being prepared for test and trials – it has since been delivered to Canada’s Navy and is in active service. At the same time, the Canadian Surface Combatant (CSC) program has been progressing quickly! The team is working on the Preliminary Design Phase right now to ensure the CSC design is meets the requirements set out by Canada for the various missions the Royal Canadian Navy will undertake with this new class of ship. Everyone is working hard to have everything ready in time for when the fast-paced build of AOPS ships has concluded.
It is an exciting place to be as a Naval Architect – part of a new era of sophisticated ships. There is always something new –and interesting— to be observed or learned. Adapting quickly and using every opportunity to take in something new has meant some really rewarding assignments!
Blog 5: Finding my place at Irving Shipbuilding
April 5, 2021
As mentioned in my previous blogs, this is not my first time working as a student with J.D. Irving (JDI) and Irving Shipbuilding (ISI). It was this time last year that I was unfortunately getting ready to end my term early due to the pandemic. Despite ending early, I learned and experienced so much during the term. That experience was crucial for me in hitting the ground running when I returned for my second work term. This week I’d like to share with you some key highlights I’ve noticed from being able to return to the same company for a Co-Op term, in a different role.
Growing newly developed skills
While you will learn many skills at JDI/ISI that will be transferable to any other job, you will also develop skills that will make you an asset to any other JDI division! For example, there was a course the company provided in my previous role which was still valid and allowed me to continue working on that type of task in my new department! There are also many programs and software systems that are used throughout (i.e., Tableau), so things you learn in one job can help you transfer and add value to another division that may be of interest to you.
Repeated Terms With the Same Company = More "Ready to Run"
Co-Op terms are typically 4 months in length, so it is important to make the most of the experience in the time allotted. Being able to jump right in has had a huge impact in starting my current Co-Op role, and it will significantly benefit me when it comes time to transitioning to my full-time role as a new hire!
Find Your Place
Returning to Irving Shipbuilding for a second term has helped me with my own personal growth and building strong workplace relationships. Reaching out and connecting with people in different teams is helpful as you get to see first-hand which professional options are available. You may just find the place where you will belong post-graduation!
Some of you may be reading my blog posts and thinking “Okay what you’re telling us is great but is what you’re learning really something you’ll use forever?”. My answer to that question is the same as what your high school teachers said when you used to ask them if you’d ever really use what they’re teaching you in the real world: YES!
To reassure you, here are 4 things I think everyone will learn when they do a co-op term with JDI:
How you work
Working in a professional environment is a lot different than managing coursework at school. During a work term you’ll learn a lot about yourself, especially what it takes for you to be motivated and excited about your work. You’ll also be able to learn how best to prioritize your work and what helps you stay organized to get things done.
It’s good to take risks
To clarify, I’m not saying you should run wild and try to do everything yourself. What I mean is that after you’re comfortable with your role, sometimes it’s good to take a chance with something or make an independent decision. You might end up being wrong or making a mistake, but that’s just another chance for you to learn.
The work culture you want
School is way different than a professional work environment because most of the people around you are the same age and dealing with the same problems. Working in a “real” work environment for a co-op term can help you figure out the culture you’ll be looking for when you start your career. Luckily for me, the culture at Lake Utopia is a definite example of what I’d like to be a part of. Everyone is friendly, welcoming and approachable – which is great for a student who has a lot of questions.
What your future career will be
My supervisor told me that there are three “L’s” that will help you decide what your full-time job will look like: Love, Location and Lifestyle. One of the things your co-op term will help you figure out is if you love that industry, job, or company. You can adjust your future job searches accordingly when you know what you love from an actual experience. Location and lifestyle might not be as easy to figure out as a student, but you have to wake up every day and do your job, so loving what you do is really important.
I will never forget my first day of my first term at Irving Shipbuilding, as I walked through Halifax Shipyard for the first time. At the end of orientation, all the new hires, (several of which were co-op students from my own university!) were brought on a tour of the yard to see shipbuilding in action. It was quite a significant thing to witness in person.
It is a massive production line that extends 4 football fields – with several ships in various stages of production. Plates of steel are mark the beginning of the ship as you enter the Assembly Hall. Laser cutters make precision cuts for the steel to be welded and formed. As you move down the hall the mega blocks (there are 3) are taking shape. At the end of the Assembly Hall, the awesome mega block is in front of the massive blue hangar door, ready to be moved 27 metres high, 2600 tonnes of ship!
Caption: Stern and Centre Mega Blocks for the third Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ship, the future HMCS Max Bernays move from the Assembly Hall at Halifax Shipyard to be joined at land level, January 2021.
Stern megablock (1) being moved alongside centre megablock (2)
A lot has changed since that first tour of the Halifax Shipyard. Those steel plates I was initially surrounded by at the entrance of the building are now pictured above in the form of the recently moved Mega Blocks for the third of six Artic and Offshore Patrol Ship (AOPS) being built for the Royal Canadian Navy. This move was a major milestone for the program.
In addition, during my 2020 co-op term, HCMS Harry DeWolf (AOPS 1) was being prepared for test and trials – it has since been delivered to Canada’s Navy and is in active service. At the same time, the Canadian Surface Combatant (CSC) program has been progressing quickly! The team is working on the Preliminary Design Phase right now to ensure the CSC design is meets the requirements set out by Canada for the various missions the Royal Canadian Navy will undertake with this new class of ship. Everyone is working hard to have everything ready in time for when the fast-paced build of AOPS ships has concluded.
It is an exciting place to be as a Naval Architect – part of a new era of sophisticated ships. There is always something new –and interesting— to be observed or learned. Adapting quickly and using every opportunity to take in something new has meant some really rewarding assignments!
