Co-op student receives invaluable experience through work term
Listening to Don Avery, Human Resources Manager, and Tim MacPhee, former Quality Control Coordinator, at Padinox Inc. speak about their work together, one might think they were long-time colleagues; yet, MacPhee was only with the high-end manufacturer of Paderno cookware for four months. It is amazing what they were able to accomplish in the span of a co-op work term. MacPhee, a fourth-year UPEI Business Co-operative Education student, spent his second work term with the company this past fall. He was brought in to assist in streamlining the quality control system at the kitchenware powerhouse.
In business since 1979, and the golden standard of cookware in North America, Paderno has secured longevity in a competitive market. By the time the 'Pots for Eternity' hit the market, they had undergone a thorough quality control assessment, backed by their 25-year warranty.
The process of making Paderno cookware is a complex series of steps that requires skilled personnel, coordinated communication, and top-of-the-line machinery from Italy. Padinox seeks to eliminate even the slightest knick or scratch defect from its production line, making the quest for product perfection of utmost importance. While employed at Padinox, MacPhee was first tasked to identify quality issues by meeting with factory staff, and then he tracked deficiencies with information sheets he developed. By increasing communication and documenting processes, Padinox was able to decrease deficiencies considerably. The company continues to utilize MacPhee's plan, though his work term is now complete.
According to Avery, MacPhee brought a wide range of skills to the table. 'He was a quick learner, took the initiative on his own to learn, and was not afraid to ask important questions,' he said.
'My courses at UPEI gave me the knowledge base, and I fully understood how to utilize the classroom concepts, by applying them at Padinox,' said MacPhee of his work term preparation. Along with having strong academic preparation, MacPhee's success was ensured with a fine balance of support and autonomy. He worked closely with a quality-control consultant from the Business Development Bank of Canada, and Avery, who gave him day-to-day support. At the same time, MacPhee was given a high level of responsibility to decide how to go about completing his tasks, and he was encouraged to share his suggestions.
MacPhee rose to the challenge, and provided concrete results to Padinox while learning on the job. He is currently on his final work term at Vogue Optical and will graduate from UPEI this year. MacPhee is thankful of the cooperative education he received at UPEI, and said he feels more prepared to start his career upon graduation.
UPEI co-op students will soon embark on their summer work terms from May-August. Students are only admitted into the program after an evaluation of their academic performance, work experience, attitude, and their level of ambition. Once in the program, students are coached to prepare them for employment opportunities and to increase their value in the workplace.
