Hey Everyone,

My name is Keiron Street, and I am a Mechatronics and Robotics Co-op student! Over the past year, I’ve had the pleasure of serving as your Mechatronics Press Secretary, as well as volunteering as an Engineering Youth Lead for Team Up Science. I am seeking election to be your VP External for the upcoming year!

Think of the current job market like a mismatched communication protocol: the engineering managers (the receivers) know exactly what a Mechatronics student is, but the HR departments (the routers) don’t know how to categorize our signal, often just defaulting us to MechE or EE. My goal is to be the translator that fixes that connection. I want to get our name directly in front of the people who do the actual recruitment so we are valued for our unique, integrated skill sets.

You can find more information below regarding my platform! Additionally, feel free to reach out to me with any questions or ideas. Kistreet@ualberta.ca

Platform Theme: Fixing the Signal – Connecting Mechatronics Talent with Industry and Community ● Industry Outreach & Targeted Networking:‍ ‍

Connecting with companies that specifically want Mechatronics students, rather than settling for companies that value us equally as a traditional MechE or EE.

Increasing the frequency of Industry Nights specifically dedicated to automation, robotics, and integrated systems.

Hosting regular networking events. These don't have to be massive every time, but they must be highly Mechatronics-focused so we don't get lost in general engineering career fairs.

The Mechatronics Showcase Initiative:

Building a grassroots marketing campaign from the inside out to educate HR. Creating a short, standardized slideshow presentation showing exactly what Mechatronics is and what we can do.

Empowering students currently on their co-op terms to present this to the companies that hired them. By collectively pitching to our respective HR departments, our reach will be massively multiplied, creating real industry buzz for our new discipline.

Brand Building & Student Recognition:

Launching and expanding a dedicated Mechatronics page on social media to get the name out.

Highlighting the cool, complex things we’re working on (like our MCTR 260 automated warehouse delivery robots or our showdown balancing robots) so recruiters can visually see our capabilities.

Implementing a "Student of the Month" program via peer nominations to highlight and promote excellence within our discipline, giving you a tangible achievement to put on your resume.

Youth Outreach & Community Engagement: Building the future pipeline and prestige of our discipline by showcasing Mechatronics to the youth.

Organizing more events and demonstrations targeted at high school and junior high students.

Partnering with local venues like the Telus World of Science to run interactive showcases that get the next generation excited about Mechatronics.