The next time you unwrap a gold-foil Ferrero Rocher, you might be holding something Mohawk College students helped put into production.
Gabe and Joey, co-op students in the Manufacturing Engineering Technician – Automation (Industrial Mechanic Millwright) program, spend their workdays at Ferrero Canada Ltd. helping to install, maintain and troubleshoot complex manufacturing equipment.
Their work ensures that those iconic hazelnut chocolates and other popular products, such as Tic Tacs and Nutella, move safely and efficiently off the production line. It’s also a hands-on example of how industry-led learning at Mohawk College gives students real-world experience with high-calibre employers.
“Everyone knows what a Ferrero Rocher is, and I’ve participated in maintaining those machines that make those products,” says Gabe. “To be able to say I work at Ferrero, I think that’s definitely something to be proud of.”
An impactful partnership
Nearly three years ago, Mohawk College and Ferrero Canada Ltd. began working together to prepare the next generation of millwrights for careers in industrial mechanical systems. Through co-op placements and Ferrero’s role on the program’s advisory committee, students gain experience, and the company helps shape the curriculum to match evolving industry needs.
Since the partnership began, Ferrero has already hired two Mohawk College Industrial Mechanic Millwright graduates, reinforcing the program’s impact on the manufacturer’s expanding talent pipeline.
Daryl is a supervisor whose been with the company for 10 years. He’s worked with various co-op students throughout his tenure. A Mohawk College alumnus himself, Daryl says students from the college arrive job-ready.
“They come into the plant with technical skills,” he says. “They already know the safety procedures, which is a big thing at Ferrero. They also have technical skills, and even while we’re troubleshooting, they’ll make suggestions right off the bat.”
That real-world preparation is one of the advantages of the college’s Industrial Mechanic Millwright Diploma, which accepts students with no prior skilled trades experience and offers them a direct pathway into the field.
The program combines classroom learning with hands-on experience, allowing students to build technical skills while gaining real-world exposure through co-op opportunities. Because the integrated technician-apprenticeship program provides in-depth experiential learning, it exempts students from the in-school training portion of the Industrial Mechanic (Millwright) apprenticeship.
Just as importantly, students have the opportunity to connect with employers like Ferrero — building relationships, gaining experience and, in some cases, earning apprenticeship hours before they graduate.
“A lot of people have to work at a company, earn their way up to even get an apprenticeship,” says Gabe. “Through the co-op program, you are getting your foot in the door. You’re more likely to get an apprenticeship than if you’re just starting right off the floor.”
Gabe’s fellow Ferrero co-op student, Joey, agrees.
Joey came to the program with no prior experience in the trades. He says Mohawk College has not only given him the technical skills to confidently complete his co-op role but also the guidance he needed to shape his career path.
“I had access to everything I would need,” he says. “I may not use all of those exact same things here, but I at least have the basic knowledge to be able to comfortably say, ‘Yes, I know how to do that,’ so I can be trusted even as a co-op student to go do something by myself.”
Where industry-led learning meets real-world application
At Ferrero, Millwright students get to put their classroom foundation to the test as full team members. Their tasks mirror those of full-time technicians — from welding and working on robots to line inspections and troubleshooting. The company, Daryl says, is committed to helping students apply what they’ve learned while continuing to develop their skills by providing the right tools, guidance and mentorship.
“Because Ferrero is a food facility, we will supply students with the tools they need for the job,” he says. “Once they get in the door, they also get access to all the personnel on the floor, so they can ask questions to people with years of experience that we can pass on to them.”
Gabe and Joey both describe the supportive environment as motivating, and they’ve seen how it encourages employees to grow. Gabe, for example, has met co-workers who came from Ferrero’s Italy and Mexico branches.
Homegrown talent is just as valued.
Daryl was once in Gabe and Joey’s shoes. Starting out as a machine operator, he became a fully licensed millwright and later stepped into a supervisory position. He says what defines Ferrero is constant growth.
“Ferrero is a great place to work,” he says. “I worked many places before, and it was just a job, but this is a place where I’ve started my career, and my career keeps going. There’s always room to grow here.”
