Mapping Talent: A Guide to Manufacturing Talent in Waterloo

The strength of our manufacturing workforce is built on our people, our ecosystem and our community. It is a workforce that has endured for more than 150 years, adapting to modern manufacturing with robotics, automation and artificial intelligence.

Our post-secondary schools play a big role in our adaptability. They produce top-quality talent with a spectrum of manufacturing-related skills. In the Waterloo area, you have engineers trained in mechatronics, system design and nanotechnology, businesspeople with specializations in supply chain and operations management and workers skilled in welding, fabrication, industrial automation and more.

Here are the top programs producing manufacturing talent from the University of Waterloo (UWaterloo), Wilfrid Laurier University and Conestoga College:

University of Waterloo

In addition to earning an exceptional education in the classroom, engineers at UWaterloo gain hands-on experience in co-op programs and at world-class research hubs.

All 10,300+ engineering undergraduate students at UWaterloo are enrolled in co-op, a work experience program with placements at companies such as Toyota, Tesla, Rockwell Automation and ATS Corporation. Students receive 2+ years of on-the-job training while earning their degree, preparing them to jump right into the workforce.

Graduate students at UWaterloo work with talented researchers at manufacturing-related hubs such as the Centre for Advanced Materials Joining (CAMJ) and the Multi-Scale Additive Manufacturing Laboratory (MSAM).

Here are a handful of manufacturing-related programs at UWaterloo.

• Mechanical Engineering (Undergraduate): Focus on manufacturing processes, materials, thermofluids and production systems
• Mechatronics Engineering (Undergraduate): Emphasis on learning and mastering the automation, robotics, sensors and control systems used in modern manufacturing
• Systems Design Engineering (Undergraduate): Equips students with the practical and theoretical skills to work with manufacturing systems, operations optimization, human-machine interaction and process design
• Electrical Engineering (Undergraduate): Prepares students for the manufacturing industry by focusing on industrial automation, control systems, robotics and power electronics specifically for manufacturing environments
• Chemical Engineering (Undergraduate): Applications for process engineering, materials processing, polymers and large-scale manufacturing systems
• Nanotechnology Engineering: Opportunities to focus on micro and nano fabrication, semiconductor manufacturing and advanced materials processing
• Engineering – Mechanical, Systems Design, Chemical, Electrical (Graduate): Opportunities to specialize in advanced research on a diversity of manufacturing, robotics, materials and industrial systems, with direct applications in the industry

Wilfrid Laurier University

Although Laurier doesn’t offer a host of core manufacturing programs, the school is known for its strong business administration programs that support the local manufacturing sector.

At the Lazaridis School of Business and Economics, students can specialize in strategic management, economics and supply chain management. In fact, the Einwechter Centre for Supply Chain Management is located at Laurier, a research hub that brings together students, researchers and industry professionals.

• Business Administration (BBA) (Undergraduate): Opportunities to focus on operations management, supply chain, process improvement and leadership roles for the manufacturing industry
• BBA Concentration — Supply Chain Management (Undergraduate): Specialization in procurement, logistics, production planning and industrial operations with a broader business degree
• Master of Supply Chain Management (MSCM): Industry-focused graduate program that applies to manufacturing operations and logistics

Conestoga College

Conestoga is vital to our community’s success in advanced manufacturing. With specialized, hands-on manufacturing programs, the polytechnic institution equips its students with the practical skills that every manufacturing company needs. At its School of Trades and Apprenticeships, Conestoga offers welding, advanced CNC manufacturing, tool and die making, power engineering and more.

Plus, there are several manufacturing-related applied research centres at Conestoga. At the Conestoga Food & Research Innovation Lab, the SMART Centre and the Additive Manufacturing Lab, students hone their skills and work with talented researchers and industry professionals.

Here are some manufacturing-related programs at Conestoga.

• Mechanical Engineering Technology (Diploma): Opportunity to specialize in manufacturing processes, learning CAD/CAM, CNC and production support
• Manufacturing Engineering Technology – Welding and Robotics (Diploma): Work with welding and robotics systems in state-of-the-art labs, gaining experience through active and project-based learning
• Robotics and Industrial Automation (Graduate Certificate): Students gain practical and theoretical knowledge of programmable logic controllers (PLCs), robotics, sensors and smart manufacturing systems to apply in a variety of manufacturing settings
• Tool and Die Maker (Apprenticeship): Provides students with theoretical knowledge and practical training over the course of on-the-job training
• Welding and Fabrication Technician (Diploma): Includes work on metal fabrication projects and computer-aided manufacturing software, as well as the development of welding skills
• Machining for Manufacturing (Graduate Certificate): Prepares mechanical engineers and machinists to make an impact in the modern manufacturing industry, equipping students with techniques like benchworking, milling, turning and designing work-holding devices
• Drafting and Design for Additive Manufacturing (Graduate Certificate): Focus on computer-aided design for additive manufacturing jobs