Co-op Student with Precisionwerkz Canada Inc in Burnaby, BC
For my 8-month co-op term, I have been working for Precisionwerkz Canada Inc in Burnaby, BC. Precisionwerkz is a high-end architectural woodwork & cabinetry company that services a wide range of clientele for custom job orders. Their workflow process involves designing, estimating, project management, engineering, machining, assembly, finishing, installation, and maintenance of millwork produced in their 15,000 square foot facility. I had the unique opportunity to work with peers in each of these departments to experience the start to finish operations in the shop and office. I spent my first month in the shop, learning about the day-to-day tasks of production work in the company. This included making doors and cabinetry, doing finishing work, going on delivery trips, and general shop cleaning and organization, all to fulfill custom orders efficiently. After learning about how projects are fabricated, I spent the following months in the office learning about how projects are designed. This involved creating reports and a lot of AutoCAD drafting to plan jobs and make CNC and laser cutter drawings for custom-cut wood pieces and engravings. For these design stages, I was largely able to apply my knowledge from a 2nd year AutoCAD course in the Wood Products Processing program which helped in many applications. This work experience has really opened my eyes to all that is involved in a secondary wood manufacturing company. It has been a great experience working closely with small teams of co-workers and I am excited to learn even more new skills for my future career in the remaining months. I would like to thank Precisionwerkz and the co-op program for making this experience possible, and I would encourage everyone in their respective programs to consider applying to co-op to enhance their employability.
