Stamp of approval – first work term students bring value to Nahanni Steel

By: Delia Loveless (she/her)

As Waterloo employers know, there are many ways that co-op students can offer value to an organization. Fresh perspectives, hybrid skills, knowledge of digital platforms and unique lived experiences are just some of the ways that co-op students contribute to innovation and excellence in the workplace.

But, as the saying goes, you need experience to get experience. For many students, including those from the University of Waterloo, securing the first professional work opportunity can be challenging when organizations are looking for candidates with prior work experience.

Understanding the struggle students face in securing a job during their first work term, Nahanni Steel tailors their co-op program to hire first work term students. The goal for the small metal stamping manufacturer is to provide students with the experience to succeed in their future careers.

A 15-year journey

Darrin Wiegard, Plant Engineer at Nahanni Steel, first became affiliated with co-op through his previous employer. There, he witnessed co-op students bring forward unique ideas and perspectives that resulted in new efficiencies being implemented. These changes would result in savings of more than $100,000 for the company.

When Wiegard moved to Nahanni Steel, he knew the manufacturer could experience similar benefits. So, he set out to gain buy-in from leaders. The potential cost savings of hiring co-op students convinced his team to bring students onto the floor.

“We used to have temporary workers come in for the linework. Unfortunately, they often began missing shifts after two or three weeks. So, I made a case to the leader about the cost savings we could realize by hiring co-op students every term versus every few weeks,” says Wiegard.

Today, Nahanni hires four to eight students each term. Over the past 15 years, Nahanni has welcomed more than 200 students for co-op jobs throughout the facility.

“We hire students for the production floor. As an engineer, you can’t tell someone how to make something better unless you’ve done the job yourself and understand the process,” says Wiegard. “We give the students the opportunity to learn from the ground up, to understand how things work.”

Nahanni sets students up for future success

Wiegard acknowledges how difficult it can be for students to land their first job. He focuses his hiring on helping first-work term students gain experience that can open doors for them in the future.

“When I first graduated, I remembered how hard it was to get a job,” says Wiegard. “We target the first year Engineering, Science and Math students to work on the production floor. They come out having skills that can be used across industries and disciplines.”

The secret, according to Wiegard, is to provide students with enough responsibility to keep them engaged.

“Students get to engage with different responsibilities throughout the facility. I also make sure there are plenty of opportunities to interact with the full-time employees and learn from them. We sit down to talk about the process, and they get to work alongside the other staff and be mentored by them. They’re an integrated part of our team.”

While Wiegard says that some students return for multiple work terms, he also believes that many use their transferable skills to land their dream jobs down the line.

“The students come here, learn, get smarter and go on to work at their dream jobs. It feels good when I hear a past student has an amazing job at Tesla, Toyota or even Princess Margaret Hospital,” says Wiegard.

Waterloo makes hiring easy

“Waterloo has nailed down the co-op hiring process,” says Wiegard. “Pre-pandemic, I would conduct my interviews in person at the Tatham Centre. Now, with the pandemic restrictions, we’ve pivoted to interviews via video call. It’s important that we conduct the interviews so I can explain to the students what they’re getting into when they work here.”

For Wiegard, the ease of Waterloo’s online hiring portal, WaterlooWorks, makes finding candidates and hiring an easy process.

“Students choose to go to Waterloo specifically for co-op. They want to gain experience before they graduate. Because they want that experience, the students come here ready to work and make an impression. And, you see that in the work they produce and how dedicated they are to meeting our goals.”

- Darrin Wiegard, plant engineer at Nahanni Steel

The future of manufacturing talent

Want more insights into the future of manufacturing and how co-op talent can fit within your strategy? Checkout our recent webinar, Building the future manufacturing workforce: attracting, retaining and funding co-op hires.

Thinking about expanding your recruitment strategy?

Get our co-op hiring information to get started or register to attend an upcoming co-op fundamentals webinar.

We can help you find the right talent. Get in touch with Emily!  

Emily is a Business Developer for the University of Waterloo's co-operative education program.  
  
She can provide you with guidance and answer questions you may have about hiring from Waterloo.  
  
Email: emily.burgess@uwaterloo.ca
Phone: (226) 220-1766