KPM Power has a long history of working with Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) students at Humber Polytechnic. One of their most recent hires, Allan Dayrit, holds an Electrical Engineering Technologies Advance Diploma from Humber, and is now a full-time Engineering Technologist with the company. Allan is one of two Humber students to have worked with KPM Power in the last eight-months.  

“In our company, we think it’s a benefit because it’s an opportunity to give the students real-world experience,” says Chang. “You learn things in the classroom that sometimes don't apply [to every situation], and being a smaller company, it really allows us to gain fresh ideas”. 

Chang brought Humber Alum Allan, along to the most recent Co-op Engineering industry event at Humber. “Allan is a great testament to Humber’s program and its students. He loves being at KPM Power, the work Allan is doing is impactful to our business and trying to make the company grow and sustain what we are doing.” 

Humber Polytechnic’s Faculty of Applied Sciences and Technology (FAST) hosts and sponsors regular events to provide industry networking opportunities and connections to their students. Some past examples include Magna Day (February 15, 2024) and sponsoring The Engineering Conference hosted by The Ontario Society of Professional Engineers (OSPE) on November 2, 2023. 

As an HR recruiter, Chang has some advice for students coming to these networking events: 

  • Take the first step and introduce yourself! Have a few questions ready to ask that are relevant to the attending companies. Take advantage of these opportunities to learn more about these companies.  

  • Don’t just drop off a resume. Take the initiative and apply for that job online to show your interest.  

  • Meeting the CEOs and founders is an amazing opportunity – but don’t forget meeting the HR recruiters is valuable too, and are most likely the people that will see your application.  

  • When you meet people, be genuine. Be your authentic self. You can learn from everyone in the industry, whether they are a founder, recruiter, on the production line or a fresh graduate at their first job.  

  • Don’t forget to reach out to the people you meet after the event! They might not have updated their website for job openings, so there is always a chance an email will get you in the door. 

Another important tip is to learn about the values a company has. “We want students to be curious about what KPM Power does,“ emphasises Chang, “Sustainability, clean technology – but also our core values. We’re customer focused, socially responsible, and care about integrity and work-life balance. That’s what stands out to me about this company, they care about us as individuals.”   

KPM Power, about to celebrate their seventh anniversary, has seen students excel from a co-op position to being a leading member of their engineering team. Founder Karen Lai emphasizes giving students the opportunity to put what they are learning in a classroom into practice and real-life experiences. In turn, the team can gain the advantage of the learned skills and fresh perspectives that the Humber co-op students provide and learn from them.

  

To learn more about Humber Polytechnic’s Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) programs and hire a WIL student, please contact Humber’s Strategic Partnerships Hub.