Precision Machining grad pursues trades career

Mollie Campbell, a Precision Machining graduate, always knew she wanted to find a career where she could work with her hands, but she had no idea she’d find her calling as a Machinist, working towards earning her Red Seal at the age of 20.

As a child, Mollie wanted to do it all. Her answer to “What would you like to be when you grow up?” was ever-changing – from dentist, to tattoo artist, to doctor, to lawyer, to teacher, her passion for the future had her imagining what life could be like down a variety of paths.

Staying true to herself

In high school, Mollie took a quiz that matched her with hands-on, creative career options, but she still couldn’t pinpoint exactly what she wanted to do. Several of her family members had been or were teachers, so she decided to set her sights on becoming one, too. Deep down she knew it wasn’t the right choice for her, so with university just 2 weeks away, she decided to pause her plans and take a year off. It was an easy decision, but an intimidating one.

“I wanted my family to be proud of me. I was afraid of letting others down,” says Mollie. “But the thought of letting myself down by going in the wrong direction was even harder, so I made the choice not to settle.”

Mollie took the next year off to work as a Financial Services Administrator at Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Greenwood. Reflecting on her experience, she says she was grateful for the stability and the people she worked with, but knew the job wasn’t what she wanted long term.

Finding her future

Ben, Mollie’s older brother and a recent NSCC Precision Machining graduate, was completing the CNC Machining program during Mollie’s year off. He’d come home with parts he’d made, and Mollie remembers being fascinated by what he was learning.

“I didn’t know much about machining at the time, but I wanted to know what the parts were, what they were used for and how he’d made them. We talked a lot about it and the more I learned, the more interested I became. He told me often that he thought I’d be great at it.”

Being just a year apart in age, Ben and Mollie had always been close – they’d practised the same sports, had the same group of friends, and now Mollie was seriously considering pursuing the same program and line of work. She decided to apply and was accepted into the Precision Machining program at Kingstec Campus.

“I’d never been in a shop environment, and I was really nervous when classes started. Our instructors were great – after a few days the nervousness totally went away,” says Mollie. “Math was a big part of the program. I wasn’t good at math in high school, but I scored my best math marks ever at NSCC. It’s because we applied the math we learned to the work we did in the shop every day. It really helped things make sense and felt like a whole new way of learning.”

Feeling confident with her choice

Mollie gave it her all, applying herself in class and committing to her studies. As her learning expanded, she and her brother were able to talk in-depth about the parts they were creating and how they approached their studies and work.

“I was excited to go to NSCC, but what really surprised me was that excitement never wore off! I looked forward to going to class every day. It was never a chore,” says Mollie. “You know you’re on the right path when you can’t wait to go to school.”

Now a full-time Machinist with Nova Scotia Power , Mollie lives in Liverpool with her boyfriend and 3 cats. She’s been told she’s the first female Machinist to work for the hydro division (outside of work-term students) and says it feels nice to show others you can do whatever you want to do, no matter who you are.

“I want women to know they don’t have to be afraid to pursue a trades career. I was anxious on my first day, but I quickly learned that everyone else was, too. The learning environment was really positive and I wasn’t treated any differently by my instructors or classmates. I still keep in touch with my shop instructor, Brandon Smith, who checks in on my brother and I now and again. My work environment is great as well.”

A life-long learner

Mollie is now focused on learning and gaining experience on the job as she works toward earning her Red Seal. Next, she may go back to College to become a Millwright and gain a second Red Seal.

“Machinist and Millwright go hand-in-hand – a Machinist makes the part, and a Millwright installs it (to put it simply). Those are skills I’d really like to formally learn,” says Mollie. “I may even want to teach others someday – so I guess maybe my original plan to become a teacher may happen after all. That’s kind of cool to think about.”

Q&A with Mollie Campbell

What made you choose Precision Machining over CNC Machining?

“Precision Machining (or some experience as a Machinist) is a pre-requisite to CNC Machining, so I wouldn’t have been able to take it straight out of high school. I’m interested in Precision Machining because it’s manual – everything I do is by hand with a machine, which really appeals to me. CNC Machining is computerized – you use a program to design the part you want to make, and then a machine makes the part you designed.”

What’s it like working as a Machinist?

“I really enjoy it because no 2 days are alike. I was recently chatting with a Red Seal Machinist I work with who has been on the job for many years. We were talking about how even after you earn your Red Seal, the learning doesn’t stop. Every day presents new challenges.”

What’s a moment that stood out to you while you were a student?

“During Open House, my instructor encouraged us to learn about other programs. He said ‘Even though you’re my students, I want you to know about other trades. I want you to come back to this classroom feeling confident you’ve picked the right one. Now go explore!’ We also got to show visiting high school students what we were learning, which was a lot of fun.”

What do you like to do in your free time to balance life and work?

“I love spending time outdoors – fishing, hiking, boating. I also love painting, drawing, crocheting and sewing. Actually, I’ve heard sewing is a common skill for a Machinist to have – I’m not sure if that’s true but it tracks for me! Focus and attention to detail are really important in both sewing and making parts.”