Before they ever step onto the mill floor, every new hourly employee at our Temiscaming site spends 10 days in onboarding.
For some, it’s their first job at a large industrial site. Others arrive with years of experience from different industries. No matter where they’re starting from, those first two weeks are dedicated to learning the site, building practical skills and understanding what it takes to work safely.
On the first morning, there’s a mix of excitement and uncertainty. Some people are meeting for the first time, while others quietly take it all in. By the first coffee break, conversations have started, introductions are behind them and the room already feels a little more comfortable.
Learning Together
Senior Technical Training Specialist Amanda Woodbury guides the group through those first 10 days, but onboarding is a team effort.
Throughout the program, employees from across the site step into the classroom to share their knowledge and experience. New hires learn from the people who do the work every day, ask questions and hear firsthand what to expect once they join their departments.
The program blends classroom instruction with hands-on learning. Over the two weeks, participants cover everything from health and safety fundamentals to confined space, lockout, electrical safety and fire protection. Along the way, they earn certifications they’ll use on the job, including fall protection, overhead crane operation, lift trucks, scissor lifts, Zoom Booms, propane filling and Scott Air Packs.
Beyond the Classroom
Before long, the classroom gives way to the mill itself.
The group tours the site, visits their future departments and meets the people they’ll soon be working alongside. They also spend time with members of the site leadership team, putting faces to names before their first shift.
From Strangers to Teammates
By the second week, the atmosphere has changed.
The quiet introductions of day one have been replaced with conversations, laughter and the occasional friendly jab across the classroom. People help each other through practical exercises, compare notes after training sessions and celebrate each new certification together.
Almost without realizing it, a room full of strangers begins to feel like a team.
Ask Amanda what success looks like at the end of those 10 days, and she won’t mention tests or certifications.
“We don’t expect anyone to know everything on day one. What we do expect is that they leave here knowing it’s okay to ask questions, speak up and stop if something doesn’t feel right. If they leave with that mindset, we’ve done our job.”
— Amanda Woodbury, Senior Technical Training Specialist
Ready for the Mill Floor
In just a few days, this group will trade the classroom for the mill floor.
They’ll head to different departments; meet the crews they’ll be working with and begin the next chapter of their careers. They won’t be starting from scratch. They’ll begin with the knowledge, confidence and connections they’ve built over the past 10 days—and with a clear understanding that working safely starts from day one.
