Canada’s national nuclear laboratory concludes annual summer work term program with exhibition showcasing science and engineering projects by co-operative students
Chalk River, ON – September 12, 2018 – Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL), Canada’s premier nuclear science and technology organization, is pleased to announce that it has successfully concluded its 2018 Summer Co-op Program with an exhibition and series of presentations which showcased the results of student research and engineering projects completed over the course of their work terms. This summer, CNL welcomed 80 students from academic institutions across the country to its campuses, including the Chalk River Laboratories, giving them hands-on experience working in the nuclear industry and exposure to challenging work that can’t be found in a classroom setting.
CNL’s annual work placement initiative is designed to provide training and experience to university and college-level students directly related to their academic studies. It also offers immediate and long-term benefits to CNL, the broader nuclear industry and Canada’s science and technology community, as it helps to support the training and long-term development of highly qualified people.
“CNL’s Summer Co-op Program offers tremendous benefits to students who are interested in working in the nuclear industry, providing them with valuable professional experience to help them fully develop their skills and build their confidence in a supportive and specialized environment,” explained Mark Lesinski, CNL President and CEO. “The program is also distinct because the students are given real-world responsibilities working on challenging projects, often using state-of-the-art equipment and facilities that are typically not available to students in these types of programs. It is this meaningful work experience that makes our program so rare and successful for both CNL and our students.”
While most students worked in positions related to science and engineering, CNL’s co-op program includes placement opportunities that span the entire organization. This year, students were placed in CNL departments that includes materials sciences, radiobiology and health, regulatory affairs, applied physics, computational techniques, fuel development, nuclear safety experiments, environmental protection, finance and business operations, analytical chemistry, performance assurance and electrical engineering.
“While this program is proven to be of great interest to qualifying students across Canada and helped them to further their careers, it’s also very beneficial to CNL,” added Esther Zdolec, Vice-President of Human Resources at CNL. “Hiring young, energetic and talented students brings an infusion of energy into our company, offering fresh perspectives on our projects. Perhaps most importantly, many of the young people who participate in the summer co-op program return to CNL once their education is concluded, so it serves as a recruitment tool to identify talented young professionals, helping us locate and hire the next generation of nuclear scientists, technical experts and engineers.”
The University of Guelph recently recognized CNL’s co-op program naming the company as its 2017 National Co-op Employer of the Year, following a nomination submitted by one of CNL’s former co-op students. Last year, CNL was also named as one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers for the second consecutive year.
For more information on CNL, including details on workplace vacancies and opportunities for students, please visit www.cnl.ca.
About CNL
Canadian Nuclear Laboratories is a world leader in nuclear science and technology offering unique capabilities and solutions across a wide range of industries. Actively involved with industry-driven research and development in nuclear, transportation, clean technology, energy, defence, security and life sciences, we provide solutions to keep these sectors competitive internationally.
With ongoing investments in new facilities and a focused mandate, Canadian Nuclear Laboratories is well positioned for the future. A new performance standard reinforced with a strong safety culture underscores every activity.
For more information on the complete range of Canadian Nuclear Laboratories services, please visit www.cnl.ca or contact [email protected].
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Contact:
Patrick Quinn
Director, Corporate Communications
CNL, 1-866-886-2325
