maxxam analytical?

[3vermore]

Hi, just wondering about "maxxam analytical".

There is co-op non pay position (lab) at this company. The reason they do not pay for co-op they say is that you gain lot more experience and have to pull a worker to teach... (I am not the co-op student, just a friend)

Anyway I got into a conversation with a random stranger who took chem eng tech, had co-op in Maxxam. From what I heard they abuse the "co-op" to get mandatory volunteering workers (his words). That co-op will need to sign a contract and if they leave before the end they do not get the co-op credit. even if they worked the min-hour needed.

Also the experience given is very lacking. They will show great labs and equipment; but when you start will be stuck at one position till the end of co-op. That there is high educated people who are weighing sand all day... that maxxam only hire high educated immigrants for the labs and pay them very small... (there was few stories that made the place sound like factory, not a lab).

not sure if what I heard is true or not... But I do not want to see my buddy not accepting guilty control job that pays vs. becoming "maxxam slave"

does anyone have experience with maxxam? are they that bad is it sounds? Working in the office sounds nice, while the lab sounds like slave work. Even with more education required.

Thank you.

[Winkle]

Maxxam is a soils lab that specializes in environmental and chemical testing. They are not a "lab" in the sense that they conduct research experiments, they're literally a lab that runs standardized environmental/chemical testing on soils samples submitted by their clients and provides them with the results straight-up (bunch of numbers on a standard results table).

It's essentially an assembly-line type soil testing lab, they run the same tests and fill in the same forms day-in and day-out. It's good work experience but it's not a place that does any research or innovation so working there is not something too many people would want to make a career out of hence their hiring practices to minimize or reduce turnover rates (which can and are usually expensive).

I wouldn't call it slave work but it's low-level grunt stuff and not particularly exciting or refreshing. They're also relatively cheap so I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't pay their techs very much.

Also, welcome to the world of co-op, many companies take advantage of co-op programs as a source of cheap labour to fill in for their most menial, mindless, boring jobs that no one else wants to do. This is especially true for a private, for-profit assembly-line type soil testing lab.

[fingwerk]

Maxxam is a soils lab that specializes in environmental and chemical testing. They are not a "lab" in the sense that they conduct research experiments, they're literally a lab that runs standardized environmental/chemical testing on soils samples submitted by their clients and provides them with the results straight-up (bunch of numbers on a standard results table).

You are wrong. Maxxam is not purely a soils lab; they do everything from DNA testing, to food testing, pharmacy, environmental, and of course, oil sands, organics and inorganics. You're simply mentioning one tiny section of the whole company. I know, because I worked there last year.

Coincidentally, there were a large group of students that did their intern/co-op while I was there. They were very young twenties. I think they were already there for at least 6-7 months by the time I got hired there. They didn't look like they weren't complaining or anything. But it's true that most of the workers are immigrants who can't get jobs any where else. The actual lab procedures you do are quite simple. I'm not sure what a high-end intern would've learnt.

Job stress was absolutely minimal.

[3vermore]

Thanks, appreciate the response.

but...

Talked to another person who did co-op at Mississauga branch. It all depends where you work at, sample reception, bottle prep to organic lab. so far two co-op told be the same, not worth the time; go for the paying co-op.

[Winkle]

You are wrong. Maxxam is not purely a soils lab; they do everything from DNA testing, to food testing, pharmacy, environmental, and of course, oil sands, organics and inorganics. You're simply mentioning one tiny section of the whole company. I know, because I worked there last year.

Coincidentally, there were a large group of students that did their intern/co-op while I was there. They were very young twenties. I think they were already there for at least 6-7 months by the time I got hired there. They didn't look like they weren't complaining or anything. But it's true that most of the workers are immigrants who can't get jobs any where else. The actual lab procedures you do are quite simple. I'm not sure what a high-end intern would've learnt.

Job stress was absolutely minimal.

I stand corrected then. The company I work at only deal with them for soils lab testing in our line of work, wasn't aware they were that broad. I haven't really seen any research papers coming from them though so I was under the impression that they're more of a straight-up assembly-line style testing lab that do little to no research.

[maxxamadministrator]

We are sorry to hear about your friend's unfavourable experience at Maxxam. The idea behind our volunteer and coop program is to give students an opportunity to gain valuable work experience in one of our laboratories (in the hopes that one day, they'll want to work for us!) and we're always open for ideas on how we can improve on that.