From Classroom to Real-World Engineering: Owen’s Internship Experience at Tulmar

At Tulmar, student internships are designed to be more than an introduction to the workplace. They offer students an opportunity to contribute to real projects, learn from experienced teams, and gain practical experience in a manufacturing environment where their work can have a direct impact.

For Owen Burgess, a Smith Engineering student at Queen’s University, that opportunity began with a four-month summer job at Tulmar. After that first experience, Owen returned for a year-long internship, giving him the time and trust to take on greater responsibility and contribute more deeply to a real product development project.

That project was KOVA.

KOVA is a fire blanket, developed to support emergency response to lithium-ion battery fires. The blanket is designed to help contain the fire area, reduce exposure, and protect surrounding people, property, and infrastructure. As lithium-ion battery technologies become more common, communities are facing new safety challenges. Through his work on KOVA, Owen applied his engineering education to a real-world problem, enabling first responders to protect communities.

Owen had the opportunity to move beyond the classroom and contribute to a Canadian-made solution designed for real-world use. For Owen, working on KOVA gave him a firsthand look at what it takes to bring a product from concept to practical application. Throughout his placement, he supported several stages of the development process, including design, testing, documentation, manufacturing planning, budgeting, and packaging.

The experience was different from what he expected from a student placement. “Being trusted to work an entire design project from beginning to end during an internship forced me to learn and adapt to proper engineering practices,” Owen said.

That level of responsibility was made possible not only by Tulmar’s hands-on environment but also by the structure of Queen’s University internship options. Longer work-integrated learning opportunities allow students to move beyond observation and contribute to projects with greater continuity, while enabling employers to involve students in more meaningful work.

At Tulmar, that trust is paired with an environment that encourages initiative and innovation. Rather than simply following predefined tasks, Owen was expected to think critically, contribute ideas, and take ownership of his work.

One thing Owen said he did not expect to learn was how much initiative and autonomy play a role in getting work done. Over the course of his internship, he became more comfortable taking responsibility for tasks and moving work forward independently before checking in with his team.

The experience also showed Owen the importance of collaboration. At Tulmar, he worked alongside engineers and experienced operators, gaining insight from the people designing the product and the people building it.

“At Tulmar, where the engineering department is smaller and tight knit, interns are given opportunities to work and learn side by side with professional engineers,” he said. “I was trusted to complete tasks autonomously and treated with respect and dignity.”

Looking back, Owen said the mindset that helps someone succeed at Tulmar is simple: be willing to learn from the people around you.

“Tulmar deals with such a wide variety of different products and fields that it is likely that someone, either in the engineering department or on the floor will know more than you about a problem,” he said.

As Owen graduates from Queen’s University and begins the next stage of his engineering career, his experience reflects what student placements can offer: hands-on learning, real responsibility, and the opportunity to contribute to work that matters beyond the classroom.

For Tulmar, it also reflects the value of welcoming emerging talent into projects where they can grow, contribute, and help advance protection solutions with real-world impact.

“Twelve-month internships give students the opportunity to really move beyond training and become meaningful contributors within an organization. Over the course of a year, engineering interns develop confidence, professional judgment, and a deeper understanding of workplace expectations. Over time, employers can invest in their growth and involve them in more complex, high-impact work. This is real return on investment for organizations, and invaluable experience for students, preparing them to help solve the world’s greatest challenges”, says Jess Boland, Associate Director of Corporate Relations, Smith Engineering.

From his first four-month summer job to his longer internship supporting KOVA, Owen’s journey shows what can happen when students are trusted with meaningful work and given the time to make a real contribution.