Rewarding Learning Opportunities with Mercer Celgar

July 15 is World Youth Skills Day. The day is used to celebrate the strategic importance of equipping young people with skills for employment, decent work, and entrepreneurship. It is a unique opportunity for dialogue between youth, employers, policy-makers, and development partners.

This summer, we at Mercer Celgar are lucky enough to have a total of 21 students joining our team in various departments, including Engineering, Maintenance, Power and Recovery, Stores, Purchasing, and in the Yard. Some have been placed as helpers on crews and others have been assigned to department-specific duties.

A Face to a Name – Two of Mercer Celgar’s 2022 Co-op Students

Meet Angad Minhas and Dakota Doherty, two Engineering Co-op students working for us this year in different departments. Both of these bright, young workers are 21 years old and in their third year of engineering. Angad is majoring in electrical engineering, with a minor in biomedical engineering, while Dakota is pursuing mechanical engineering. Their backgrounds are diverse and their fields of study are slightly different, but both Angad and Dakota aspire for a career that allows them to be creative, innovative, and hands-on. 

“Engineering gives you the chance to innovate, create, design, explore, and so much more,” Angad says, “I specifically chose electrical engineering because of its large scope. Whether it’s small digital devices or large-scale manufacturing plants, electrical engineering is involved. I have especially always been interested in signal processing and power distribution. My choice to pursue a minor in biomedical engineering was solely because I am interested in how engineering can assist and advance medical systems and human anatomy.”

Natural tinkerers, Angad and Dakota also enjoy applying critical thinking and getting things to work the way they want them to – both at work and in their free time. “I have always enjoyed diagnosing and solving problems with everyday things, like my car or a coffee machine,” Dakota says. Just last summer, Angad restored a 2003 Acura RSX Type S. “I found satisfaction in bringing that engine back to life,” he says. “I was also working with a team of talented individuals to convert a 1960s Volvo into a fully electric car.”

Learning on the Job

What made the two young engineers apply for summer employment at Mercer Celgar? Interesting and rewarding learning opportunities. “As I was looking for internships, many companies only wanted co-op students to test products or work towards one specific task,” Angad says, “Celgar was different. During my time spent here, I have been able to work on and experience many different aspects of electrical engineering. I have been given lots of responsibility, which has led me to learn a great deal! Additionally, Celgar has allowed me to get a taste of project management.”

After their co-op terms at Mercer Celgar come to an end, both young men are back to school for the fall term to finish their degrees. Dakota says, “The next steps for me are finishing my last years of schooling and then looking for a job in the engineering field.” Without a doubt, Angad and Dakota have successful and meaningful careers ahead of them.

Today, as we celebrate World Youth Skills Day, we reflect on how happy we are to have bright, young students like Angad and Dakota joining us during their summer and co-op work terms. Something we value at Mercer Celgar is creativity and innovation, and students like these – full of energy and enthusiasm – bring with them new ideas and perspectives.