National Engineering Month: Meet New Graduate Ian
Many of Lockheed Martin Canada’s engineers start out as students in co-op placements or internships. For National Engineering Month, we spoke with some of our former co-op students who are now full-time team members about what it’s like to enter the workforce as a new graduate.
Ian, System Integration/Test Engineer Associate, joined the River-class destroyer program in 2024 after completing all four co-op placements with the same team.
A career driven by national pride:
Ian on a visit at BAE Systems, Lockheed Martin Canada’s partner on the River-class Destroyer program
Ian works on the Technical Data Package Team for the River-class destroyers, taking inputs from the many subcontractors and program partners to ensure effective integration on the ship. He’s always been drawn to the defence industry, so landing his first co-op placement at Lockheed Martin Canada was a dream come true.
“I think it's very important for Canada to be able to defend itself, and that’s what these ships are being built for. It’s also one of the coolest things you can work on because it's all cutting edge. We're working on the newest, best-in-class technologies that aren’t found anywhere else.”
The River-class destroyers are designed to conduct air, surface, undersea and information warfare missions, and feature state-of-the-art technologies to keep Canada’s sailors prepared for decades to come.
“What drives me, even when I’m tired or working on something that feels tedious, is the knowledge that I’m doing this for our country and that’s why it matters.
Ian especially values the opportunities he has had to step outside his usual scope and try new things.
On many occasions, he’s put his hand up to take on new or interesting work and says he’s always been met with enthusiasm from his team.
While he’s absorbed a wealth of new skills and information in his role, he says he still draws on what he learned in school every day: “I use a lot of the software-based skills daily, like 3D-modelling, as well as excel skills.
But there are also many soft skills from the team projects, labs and groupwork throughout his engineering degree that have been invaluable, like collaboration and problem-solving. Ian sees every challenge he faces and everyone he works with as part of an interconnected ecosystem:
“Everything is connected. Whether it's by cable or bolt, everything on the ships needs to work well together, just like the teams working on them. It’s so important to be able to work effectively with people to assess a problem and come up with a way to fix it.”
What continues to inspire Ian? The same vision he’s had for himself since his very first co-op term.
“I’ve always thought: one day, I’m going to stand on the Angus L. MacDonald Bridge, look out onto the Halifax Harbour and watch them launch the ship that I’ve spent my career working on.”