This week on Red Army Radio, Francis sits down with Brock Tipping and Jad Ziadat, summer students from Carleton University working in construction coordination at Tomlinson. They discuss their backgrounds, including Brock’s transition from landscaping and Jad’s initial experience with shoring and piling.

Brock and Jad share insights on the importance of on-site experience and the problem-solving skills gained from their engineering degrees. Brock talks about estimation and what that role was like for him. They highlight the supportive onboarding experience at Tomlinson and the guidance from experienced colleagues.

They also talk about managing priorities, exciting summer projects, and offer advice for future summer students. Finally, they discuss their future plans and the best lessons learned during their internships. Don't miss this episode packed with insights and experiences from our summer students. Tune in to Red Army Radio to get the inside scoop on what it's like to work at Tomlinson.

Episode Highlights:

• Brock Tipping and Jad Ziadat, summer students from Carleton University, discuss their roles as construction coordination students at Tomlinson.
• Brock talks about his transition to construction coordination and the valuable lessons he has learned about production and job bidding.
• Jad emphasizes the importance of on-site experience to fully understand the scope of the work.
• The importance of problem-solving skills gained from their engineering degrees.
• Their onboarding experience at Tomlinson, where foremen and managers are always happy to answer questions and provide guidance.
• The wealth of experienced colleagues they can turn to for advice.
• Exciting projects they are currently working on this summer.
• Advice for other summer students coming to Tomlinson and the significance of teamwork in the company culture.
• Their plans after school and what they hope to achieve before finishing their internships.

“You're not treated as a student; people actually take the time out of their day to explain things to you.”

“Once I saw that you can be on site, manage, and have input on a project – this is definitely what I want to do.”

“You can go on a sewer and water job, a paving job, shoring and piling, and it’s all different.”

“Every day is different for a construction coordinator, with lots of tracking and keeping the job flowing.”

“When I started university, I had no idea what I wanted to do or where I saw myself going.”

“I went into engineering because I really enjoyed making things at home, seeing how things are made, and actually doing things yourself.”

“You come here and see Tomlinson dumpsters, Tomlinson bins, trucks – that’s something that really jumped out at me. I want to be a part of the big show.”