Fleming College

Matthew Fraser didn’t have to travel far for a career opportunity after graduating from both the Environmental Technology and Advanced Water Systems Operations and Management Co-op (AWSOM) programs at Fleming’s Frost Campus. Matthew is now the Colleges and Institute Canada Water Research Intern at the Centre for Alternative Wastewater Treatment (CAWT). The CAWT, which is located at Fleming’s Frost Campus, is an internationally recognized research institute that conducts research in water and wastewater treatment science.

“What I enjoy most about my internship is feeling like a sponge,” said Matthew. “There are so many knowledgeable minds around me on a daily basis, it is almost impossible not to absorb archives upon archives of information. I feel like my colleagues are so thorough in their work, I think sometimes they don’t even realize they are shedding a light on a certain subject or giving me some sort of useful tidbit of information. Either way, I very much appreciate hearing their two cents and their willingness to share experiences.”

On a typical day, Matthew said his responsibilities include running a Biochemical Oxygen Demand test, Ammonia test, sample collection, chain of custody tracking, balance verification and keeping the lab clean and tidy. He said his internship highlights thus far are picking up water samples from a military base, designing a Zen garden, and wearing a Tyvek suit and full face respirator during peak temperatures to dismantle a project.

“This experience has been great. I have been able to apply my skillset attained from my educational background in a real world setting, while expanding it all at the same time,” said Matthew. “I believe this position will really help me build a solid foundation to stay working in this field of work for the long term.”

“Matt has been a great asset to our team and brought lots of energy and enthusiasm to the Centre,” said Brent Wootton, Associate Vice-President Business Development, Applied Research, Government and Partner Relations.

Matthew attributes his Fleming College education for being prepared to hit the ground running at the CAWT. “The Environmental Technology advanced diploma and AWSOM graduate certificate without a doubt helped me be as prepared as I could be before starting at the CAWT,” said Matthew.

“My AWSOM studies have given me a thorough understanding of health and safety regulations and standards, water and wastewater treatment, environmental monitoring, use of industry related computer software, as well as assisted me in gaining relevant technical skills in field sampling applications, in-lab practices, quality assurance and quality control measures and testing procedures.”

He added, “I had an awesome (AWSOM) time in this program! No pun intended.”