Contributing to progress

Pramuk (May) Pongpitpitak (mechanical engineering) spent a co-op work term at Vancouver Island Health Authority (VIHA), where he was responsible for quality control and managed research on elevator traffic for the new Patient Care Centre at Royal Jubilee Hospital.

"Working for VIHA has been an eye-opening experience, and presents the opportunity to learn something new every day," says Pongpitpitak. "To go from working in a small group of classmates to working with so many people with different backgrounds on such a massive project—that’s something school can’t prepare you for, and it’s what makes this co-op experience irreplaceable."

His supervisor agrees. "From my experience, co-op students are bright, highly motivated and hardworking, says David Leadbetter, director of facilities management at VIHA. "They really bring a fresh perspective to the worksite. It’s been a pleasure to work with them and contribute to the ‘real-world’ part of their education."