Talwinder Singh’s goal seemed simple enough when he first thought of it. A mechanical engineer in his home country of India, he planned to move to Canada, find work in a similar field, and build a new life. The reality, however, was more complex as bureaucratic red tape, an economic downturn and, most of all, a global pandemic disrupted his plan.

When Singh realized that his experience as a mechanical engineer would not transfer to Canada because of certain policies, he took it in stride and looked for a college program he could apply for in Canada that would land him in a similar career. He applied to Lakeland College’s two-year process and power engineering diploma program (then called heavy oil power engineering) and began his studies in 2018.

“I like everything about Canada and learned so many things at Lakeland,” Singh says, adding that his experience as a mechanical engineer definitely helped. “It was a good experience and everybody helped me here.”

Things took a turn though before Singh graduated. The COVID-19 pandemic interrupted his studies and the required steam time component of his program was delayed. He graduated in 2021 instead of 2020 and the job market was tough.

“Nobody was hiring at the time,” Singh says. He began working at a Shell gas station in 2020 while sending out hundreds of resumés. The years slipped past and he kept applying, concerned that the growing gap in his resumé between his studies and his application might prevent hiring managers from reaching out to him.

“It was my dream to work as a power engineer from the day I came here, and I thought if I just kept working on my resumé and kept applying, someone would finally hire me,” he recalls. “But most companies want five years’ experience and I had that three-year gap in my resumé. I thought that might be why they wouldn’t hire me.”

It’s how he found himself in 2023, managing a gas station while working a second job at Booster Juice, making smoothies.

And that’s when a chance encounter with Dr. Alice Wainwright-Stewart, Lakeland’s president and CEO, changed the trajectory of his career path.

She came in for a smoothie, Singh recalls, and he recognized her. When he mentioned that to her, Wainwright-Stewart asked him where he knew her from.

“I told her I studied at Lakeland,” Singh says, “And she asked me what program. When I told her it was power engineering, she asked why I wasn’t working as a power engineer. When I confessed that I kept applying for jobs but couldn’t seem to find one, she asked if I had approached the college and let them know I was struggling.”

Wainwright-Stewart reached out to Simon Stilgoe, chair of the School of Energy. Stilgoe and Colleen DeKoning, administrative assistant for the School of Energy, worked together to help Singh. They reviewed his resumé and cover letters, and perhaps most impactful of all, conducted a mock interview to help him improve his skills in that area.

“They told me if I wanted to work in the power engineering field, my interview answers needed to reflect that. They told me to share my practicum and lab experience at the college during interviews, which would give me a better chance of being selected.”

Singh took that to heart, using that advice to bolster his interview skills and his confidence.

And the next thing he knew, he’d found a job. Singh was hired as a shift engineer at Thunder Creek Pork, a processing plant in Moose Jaw, Sask., and given a three-month probationary period to prove himself. It was a responsibility Singh did not take lightly.

“I gave it my best, 100 per cent,” he explains, excited. “And at the end of my three months, they promoted me to chief engineer at the new plant, North 49 Foods!”

Now that he’s a chief engineer, managing three shift engineers, Singh remains in touch with Lakeland. It’s a steep learning curve and sometimes he reaches out for advice, but he’s also determined to pay it forward.

In October, when his plant was hiring, Singh reached out to Stilgoe to see if there was anyone like him who might be looking for an opportunity to gain some experience and steam time.

“Lakeland helped me during my studies but they helped me after too. I’m learning new things every day, using my education and what I studied for. Simon and Lakeland are always so supportive and help guide me.”