Here is a sneak-peak into the work lives of some of this year’s PEY interns
Flora (Civ 1T9 + PEY), IBI Group
What is your position? Provide a brief description of what you do (it’d be great if you can include some project work you’ve done in the past if it’s not confidential)
Transit Technology Analyst. We help public transit agencies procure and implement transit technology solutions. Transit agencies are always looking for ways to improve their services and make the operations more efficient. We help transit agencies bridge the gap between their current technologies and their vision for the future. Since transit agencies are usually so big, they don’t really know what other departments in the agency are doing, creating a big knowledge gap between the departments. IBI needs to see the big picture and ensure the project is moving along. After technology is developed, IBI creates testing plans to assess its functionalities. We also regularly participate in contract negotiations between technology vendors and transit agencies.
If you have to describe your work environment in 3 words, what would they be?
Friendly, engaging, open-minded
What are some things you wish you knew before starting the job?
Lectures won’t prepare you for all you need in the workplace. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. The workplace is different than school. School always has a rubric where expectations are laid out for you. In a workplace, it changes based on projects and people. It’s up to you to make sure it meets your own personal standards and standards of people you work with.
Perks of working at your company…
The office is very nice! Team culture is awesome because they encourage self management as well as innovative thinking. Specifically this job you get to meet a lot of clients. It’s very valuable to be able to engage and work with people outside your company. Client dynamics can be trickier than what people expect, and this job really prepares you for it.
Shun (Civ 1T9 + PEY), BA Group
What is your position? Provide a brief description of what you do (it’d be great if you can include some project work you’ve done in the past if it’s not confidential)
I am working at BA Group as a transportation engineering intern. Throughout the course of my 16-month internship, I have rotated through three (3) different roles: transportation systems analyst, traffic designer, and traffic analyst.
As a transportation systems analyst, I primarily work with various transportation models such as microsimulation (VISSIM) and mesoscopic (VISUM) models. With these models, I analyze traffic conditions (i.e. volumes, queues, delays) and mitigation strategies (i.e. new laneways, new lane configurations) for large / complex transportation systems, often at a master plan level. In addition to the modelling work, I conduct data analysis work, ranging from collecting data, building databases, and analyzing data.
As a traffic designer, I conduct site plan reviews and designs for our project sites using AutoCAD. This includes designing various transportation elements on site such as parking spaces, laneways, and so on. In addition to AutoCAD, I have learned numerous by-laws, regulations, and guidelines that are relevant to transportation design in Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area.
As a transportation analyst, I conduct traffic impact studies, meaning I analyze traffic conditions / operations around our project sites. This includes trip generation, trip distribution, and analyzing the traffic conditions in Synchro to assess how well intersections are operating.
Additionally, I prepare traffic impact study reports, which are submitted to municipalities as part of development applications. The reports include (but not limited) to findings from traffic design and analysis.
If you have to describe your work environment in 3 words, what would they be?
Friendly, Lively, and Productive
What are some things you wish you knew before starting the job?
You do not really need to know anything particular before you start your job at BA Group. You will learn so much as soon as you start working!
Perks of working at your company…
You will be exposed to various roles and aspects in transportation engineering, and I think it is very valuable to be able to broaden your career horizons early in your career.
Pavani (Civ 1T9 + PEY), Region of Peel
What is your position? Provide a brief description of what you do (it’d be great if you can include some project work you’ve done in the past if it’s not confidential)
I work in the Region of Peel’s Sustainable Transportation team, Public Works Department. With Peel growing rapidly, getting people to use sustainable travel modes (walking, cycling, transit, and carpooling) has recently become a top priority. For this, my team works on providing active transportation infrastructure and educating the public to encourage travel behaviour change.
For the first component, I review and provide input to road construction projects, environmental assessment studies, and new development applications in Peel to ensure they align with our plans and follow standards for active transportation infrastructure. Also, I help to realign our future active transportation projects and budgets based on changing priorities, review requests for proposals, and coordinate my team’s projects with other road projects to ensure resources are used efficiently. This gives me valuable project management experience and teaches me about the integral role urban planning plays in transportation. For the second component, I attend outreach events to teach the public about the value of sustainable travel in their communities.
If you have to describe your work environment in 3 words, what would they be?
Slow but steady. A lot of our projects take a long time because of political factors and dealing with a lot of stakeholders. However, there’s always projects that come in waves and you get a great variety of experience.
What are some things you wish you knew before starting the job?
- Networking doesn’t stop once you get the job. I was intimidated to approach new people at work. However, through staff events and other interns, I got to make personal connections with a lot of my coworkers. This made the workplace so much more enjoyable and came in handy when I needed help on projects or needed general career/school advice. Don’t be afraid to reach out to people. You’ll find great mentors and you never know when that network might come in handy!
- The importance of work and life balance. Work moves at a different pace than school. Although work may not be as demanding, don’t underestimate getting rest and using your free time wisely. You want to be well-rested and at your best during work. Some weeknights I was lazy and just watched shows; however, on most nights, I took up some hobbies (like reading and cooking) or spent more time with family and friends, and even learned to skate! Being able to do these things that I would have missed out on during school put me in a much better state for work and helped me to learn to prioritize.
- PEY is a two-way street. Companies hiring us value PEY because it means extra people at work. At the same time, PEY is a time for us to develop professionally through practical experience and valuable connections. If you feel that you can handle more challenging work or are keen on getting a variety of work to suit your interests, don’t be afraid to reach out to your supervisors. They should be open to helping you make your internship more meaningful.
Perks of working at your company…
- Get great discounts for Brampton/GO Transit, at Bramalea City Centre stores, August 8 sushi 😀 and some places in downtown Toronto.
- Get exposure to a variety of consultants’ work. You get involved in projects with different consultants, learn about the quality of work that clients expect out of their consultants, and make great connections at consulting firms and other government or transit agencies.
- Get to work with people from a variety of academic/work backgrounds, including lots of U of T Civ alumni, who give great career/life advice.
Nasteha (Civ 1T9 + PEY), TTC
What is your position? Provide a brief description of what you do (it’d be great if you can include some project work you’ve done in the past if it’s not confidential)
I work as a structural engineer intern in the Subway Infrastructure department here at the TTC. I provide support to ensure that current TTC structures – subway tunnels, stations, open tracks, and bridges – are safe and structurally sound. Some of my work entails damage control by assessing excavation requests from contractors in the city building near our structures and providing limitations on proposed work. Other aspects of my position are providing analysis of structural drawings to plan out maintenance work, calculations for concrete and steel, and creating or updating existing drawings.
One project I worked on was a structural inspection of concrete drainage structures at the open tracks between Eglinton and St. Clair stations. This involved compiling all information and drawings about manholes and catch basins as they were constructed originally and assessing existing damage that might risk impact on the tracks above them. The exciting part of this project was going on track walks during subway closures in order to access these structures up close.
If you have to describe your work environment in 3 words, what would they be?
Flexible, challenging, and supportive.
What are some things you wish you knew before starting the job?
The priority level of the work our team receives is greatly varied, so some days are slow and some can be quite hectic. Since we deal with maintenance and these issues can happen at any time and impact our structures to any degree, we have to adapt on an ongoing basis to stay on top of things. It takes a while to get used to, but allows for a lot of learning from colleagues and helps with developing better work habits.
Perks of working at your company…
Free TTC pass and super cool subway track walks at night!
PEY Interns from previous years
Sneha Adhikari
Transportation Engineering Intern
City of Toronto
Pia Dimayuga
Transit Technology Analyst Intern
IBI Group