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A completed plastic injection mold sitting on the shop floor showing all the water and hydraulic lines and fittings

I was at a job fair in 2015, where I heard about the programs run through the Valiant Training & Development Centre. They would interview you and if you got approved for the program you were placed with a company that would pay for your training. I think that program no longer runs, but I got paid to train at the center for the first month or so in 2015. (Note: The Valiant Training & Development Centre became the St. Clair College Skilled Trades Regional Training Centre in 2017.) They were training us in general trade knowledge: mostly we ran bridgeports, then moved up to a small boring mill and CNC. The training wasn’t directly mold making related, but I got placed with a mold making company and worked on the floor for nine months.

How I Got into Circle 5 – Mold DesignerThe company would ask apprentices if they wanted to try out other departments during downtime. In 2015, someone asked if I wanted to try design, so I was interviewed by the engineering manager to be moved up and it worked out. The rest is history.

I didn’t mind mold making, but with design I feel like I get to think more, especially when I work on patterns and creative solutions to problems. There’s thinking and problem-solving in mold making as well, but if you make a mistake, it’s in steel, so you can’t easily go back and correct it. In design if there’s a problem, I can erase it and redraw it. There’s a little more freedom.

In 2022, I came to work for Circle 5 because a guy I worked with at my old shop referred me to them. I enjoy that I get to work on more challenging tools here at Circle 5. The design department also isn’t split into surfacers and designers, so I get to learn the full tool build. I get a lot more experience working with more complex tools and I can pick my coworkers’ brains.

– L.S.K. Designer

Circle 5 is always looking for capable and talented people to join our growing team. Our learning environment fosters creativity and innovation through collaborative teamwork. Follow the link to see a list of available opportunities.

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