Our Engineering Co-ops

Our celebration of “The People Behind the Project” to mark Engineering Month in Canada continues this week. The Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority (WDBA) has partnered with the University of Windsor Co-op Program and welcomed our first students from the Civil Engineering program this term.

Kwame Afrani and Joshua Haddad are third-year civil engineering students working directly with the Project Managers overseeing Early Works and the planning for the Gordie Howe International Bridge project.

Kwame has had previous experiences as a technical assistant at Urban Concrete Ltd. in Accra, Ghana and a project scientist at S2S Environmental Inc. in Pickering, Ontario. When we asked him what led him to choose civil engineering for his education and future career, he said it wasn’t originally what he thought he was going to do. His original vision for the future saw him looking to studies in architecture, however, he learned that he was better at the technical aspects of construction and not the artistic side. In addition, his father is a practicing civil engineer and by following him around and learning about the projects he was working on led Kwame to selecting civil engineering. Regarding his current placement with WDBA, Kwame said “the opportunity that I have had during this term has allowed me to gain additional compliments to the skill set I want to learn. Also, in my past experiences I have worked more in the field and WDBA has allowed me to develop a greater understanding and expand my skill set in the area of project management. Now I have had a chance to see both sides of a project from planning, oversight and implementation which will be invaluable to me in my future career.”

Joshua has had previous co-op experience with the Coco Group as a Quality Control Technician prior to joining WDBA. When asked why he chose civil engineering he responded candidly that coming out of high school he really didn’t know what he wanted to do but had an interest in engineering with no particular discipline so he chose it as a starting point. His studies and experiences led him to selecting civil engineering as the right path for him. He had this to say about his time with WDBA: “it’s been comforting to know that every day I get to come in and work with a dynamic and experienced group of people that are assisting in expanding my knowledge and experience in this field. Through my time here I have been exposed to many different aspects of project management and have a better understanding of what happens behind the scenes for a large scale infrastructure project like the Gordie Howe International Bridge.”

The co-op program at the University of Windsor is an accredited academic program recognized by the Canadian Association for Co-operative Education. Co-operative education combines academic education with full-time, paid work experience related to a student’s area of study.

The Gordie Howe International Bridge project is an exceptional learning opportunity for students and allows them to contribute to the Windsor-Detroit community on an exciting and dynamic large scale project. WDBA is thrilled to be able to provide these opportunities to local students.

Check back next week for our last segment as we conclude our celebration of #NEM2016.