Early bird catches the worm!
May 29, 2015 10:11 am Leave your thoughts
Hi Everyone! My name is Brandon and I’m currently on an 8 month Co-Op term, interning as a quality assurance technician at the Weyerhaeuser Vancouver Parallam Plant. This plant has been in operation since the mid 1980’s and is located on Annacis Island, a small industrial community 20 minutes away from the heart of Vancouver, B.C. As a major in the Wood Products Processing Program at UBC, the opportunity to work at an engineered wood products plant is the perfect way to get a rookie forester’s feet wet.
So what exactly is Parallam? Parallam is a clever amalgamation of the product description – parallel laminated lumber. And the idea? To turn average grade wood veneer strands into one of the strongest structural wood products around. With the amount of experience and talent accumulated over the years, the plant is able to produce, package and ship product all over the continental United States with fewer than 100 people spread over 3 shifts!
Starting my days bright and early at a healthy 6:30 A.M., my first week on the job was filled up pretty quickly with safety on-boarding tours, reading safety job instructions and getting to know the plant environment – the fundamentals to working safely. As a member of the quality assurance department, it is our responsibility to ensure that our product meets code and specifications before shipping. In the coming weeks, I will be participating in projects that will benefit the production process and reducing product variability. I hope to be able to partake in a lot of experiments and process analyses that will make long-lasting changes to how the plant meets and exceeds quality expectations.
During this event-filled first week, I’ve come to realize that I have never learnt so much in such a short period of time. Though a bit of a change from the caffeine-fueled student life I am so accustomed to, it is quite the refreshing experience to be working in such a tight-knit and safety-oriented (and humorous!) community, where some have been with the plant for over 30 years. It’s no wonder the Vancouver Parallam plant was able to celebrate their one-year injury free milestone this past January!
Over the next few months, I look forward to taking on more challenging and in-depth projects in my time to come, and knowing that I am able to carry over the skills from within the classroom into the industry, this Co-Op term has provided a fresh perspective and stronger motivation for me to pursue a career in the forestry industry. I will be sure to share and update all of you with the cool projects and incredible experiences that I will be coming across. Stay tuned!