The first Connect Canada internship in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Alberta was recently approved and intends to do exactly that: connect. 

A graduate student in geotechnical engineering will be working with Richard Schmidt and his team at the partner organization: Almita Piling Inc.  Schmidt was contacted by the student, whose Masters research was based on a topic highly relevant to their work, and sees the program as a unique research and development opportunity for his organization. 

“We want to learn some things from all the old information we have amassed,”says Schmidt.  “We want the student to analyze the years of test information we have collected, combine it together in one format, and determine trends and places for efficiencies in design.”

The program links Canadian organizations with specific research goals to graduate students and post-doctoral researchers with existing expertise in those areas.  This unique partnership balances academic and business needs, for a relatively minor investment, coupled with academic supervision and support from the University.  

Giulio DeSando of Connect Canada believes the program helps companies remain competitive in the global market, as developing the necessary knowledge and technology may be costly and difficult to implement within their organizations.

"The program also provides an excellent foundation for the hands-on training of graduate students who will become key contributors to the Canadian economy," says DeSando, "whether they choose to remain in academia or eventually work in industry."

For the student and for Schmidt, they will have much to analyze when the four- to six-month internship comes to a close: data, opportunities for improvement... and whatever opportunities may arise from this particular 'connection'. 

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For more information on how to become part of this program, go to:
https://www.connectcanadainternships.ca/