Meet second year Civil Technology student, Aidyn Pearce

We caught up with Civil Technology student, Aidyn Pearce, as he embarks on his second year at the college. Aidyn started as a student taking the one-year Civil Technician certificate program and is now taking the two-year Civil Technology (Municipal Engineering) diploma program.

Boxes I was looking to check when looking at future career paths:

• In demand field which I’d easily gain employment post completion
• A program with a co-op placement to gain hands-on work experience
• Opportunity to try a program without a huge time commitment
• Opportunity to transfer my credentials to advance my education afterward

I was encouraged to enroll in the Civil Technician certificate program as it was a one-year program with a co-op placement, which would allow me to gain some hands-on experience, and really get a feel for the profession. Check… check… check. The program was a trial for me to see if engineering was the right fit for my future. I also liked that this was a stepping stone with advancement opportunities to upgrade my education to eventually become an engineer, should my path go in that direction. Check.

After completing the certificate program, I decided to enroll in the two-year Civil Technology (Municipal Engineering Specialization) diploma program as I have future aspirations in becoming an engineer. Municipal engineering offers a variety of roles and areas where you could focus your career, such as structures, roadways and waterways. With so many job opportunities and career paths to take in the field, municipal engineering felt like the best fit for me.

I have countless positive things to say about my time at Assiniboine. The high calibre of instructors here at the college have been instrumental to my success. Second, the expansive variety of software programs and tools really helped me excel in the program and my co-op placements. Learning with the hands-on approach you’ll find here at the college has helped me become proficient in CAD software, survey equipment, as well as being able to apply the theory taught in the classroom to real life situations.

My favourite course has been AutoCAD. I really enjoy being able to use technology to replicate and design in a creative, yet technical manner. I also really enjoyed statistics as I could apply math principals to solve physics-related problems that we see in everyday life.

One of the top highlights from my time at college by far was being able to represent Assiniboine on the world stage at the World Congress put on by the World Federation of Colleges and Polytechnics (WFCP) in Montréal. It was such an honour to learn and share how our education systems are run, and how to improve them while respecting sustainability goals set out by the United Nations.

Once I complete my three years at Assiniboine, I plan to attend Lakehead University with a goal of obtaining my Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering degree, with an emphasis on Aviation. Lakehead University should acknowledge my credentials from Assiniboine, and transfer me into year three of a Bachelors of Engineering degree. To have the opportunity to have hands-on work experience, a college diploma and a university degree within the span of five years is amazing!

As a past air cadet with a pilot’s license, I really would love to eventually work in the aviation industry. Even though it’s a bit of a shift from Civil, Assiniboine will have taught me large amount of core engineering principals applicable in all fields of engineering. With the wide variety of courses taught within the Civil Tech program, I could see myself using the knowledge I’ve gained to get into design, provide technical assistance to contractors, and contribute to an engineering team's ability to solve real life problems. As a "people person", I feel like I could effectively lead a group as well as being a good team player.

For future students who want to pursue the Civil Tech program, I highly suggest you do it. It’s a limitless program with so many opportunities to advance with career opportunities that are in very high demand. Work hard, apply yourself and make connections within the industry. You may surprise yourself with what you can accomplish.