In making his post-secondary education decision, Josh Nolet found himself walking through Mohawk College’s Fennel Campus during an Open House. Beyond seeing labs and learning spaces, he heard from Electrical Engineering Technology students about the program’s benefits. While the experience solidified Josh’s choice to attend Mohawk, it was the program’s career-driven approach that proved most valuable.
“(The students) described how the program was very relevant and the knowledge was useful for the workforce,” Josh remembers. “However, the number one thing that students told me benefited them was the co-op, and that fact that you get to gain real world experience and see how a company operates.”
Entering the Electrical Engineering Technology program with this in mind, Josh set his sights on making the most of his co-op experience. He was prepared for the opportunity through a practical focus that includes working on applied research projects with industry partners. In 2015, Josh started his one-year co-op — a format that is widely preferred by employers and students — with L3Harris Technologies.
L3Harris Technologies is an agile global aerospace and defence technology innovator, delivering end-to-end solutions that meet customers’ mission-critical needs. The company provides advanced defence and commercial technologies across air, land, sea, space and cyber domains.
“I gained high quality experience in the area of electrical work and designing electronics in a professional setting with projects, goals and deadlines,” says Josh. “My co-op helped me grow, so that when I graduated, I had something to offer employers that would benefit them.”
The structure of the Electrical Engineering Technology program saw Josh return to Mohawk after co-op for his final semester. He came back prepared with additional confidence, new professional connections and refined skills, which he applied to a capstone project.
“The project gave a small robot the ability to navigate a maze and have a memory of where it travelled so it could retrace its steps,” says Josh. “I used the electrical skills I had gained through my co-op to make the project a success and scored over 90 per cent on it.”
In addition to starting his educational journey with an understanding of co-op’s benefits, Josh also took advantage of Mohawk’s wide range of extracurricular activities. As technology director of the college’s student association, he represented more than 3,500 students studying in the technology area, organized monthly meetings and events, and presented feedback at committee and board meetings.
“Mohawk offers a lot of opportunities to volunteer, network and meet other students and employers,” he says. “This gives you the ability to ask questions about potential opportunities as well as use the connections to help you get a job post-graduation.”
Since graduating in 2016, Josh has held several positions at L3Harris, including electrical automation designer and systems test specialist. He is currently a systems designer while simultaneously pursuing a Bachelor of Technology in Software Engineering Technology.
“I enjoy the work as well as the company culture,” Josh says. “I like working in my field and getting the opportunity to directly impact the product we deliver to our customers. While working at L3Harris, I have gained a sense of purpose knowing that what I do matters.”
