Quote: (04-19-2012 12:33 PM)DjembaDjemba Wrote:
Quote: (04-19-2012 09:52 AM)scotian Wrote:
Quote: (04-18-2012 03:16 PM)Irishman Wrote:
If you dont mind me asking Scotian what is the rough amount you would make during a 24 day shift?
Thanks
All depends on the amount of hours I work per week, roughly $3500-5000 after tax each week, so after a 24 day hitch I should pocket about about $13-16K, I'm still an apprentice, my journeyman will be making around 20K.
Hey Scotian, how did you get into an apprentice position?
Without any experience, how does one get their foot in the door for a trade in the region?
I'm looking into picking up a trade, but taking a pre-employment is prohibitive without having a job first, and it's not offered in Ontario.
Did you just apply and ask to be trained on the job?
If you want to work in the oil sands, I would recommend starting your apprenticeship in Alberta. Apprenticeships in Canada are regulated through each province and I know of guys who couldn't transfer their hours between provinces (stupid government rules).
As far as getting into a trade and beginning an apprenticeship, you can directly contact companies to see if they have any openings for a labourer or helper, then once you get on, you can register as an apprentice, then go to school for your first year training, for trades this is about 8 weeks (you can draw EI while at school). Basically you'd work for 4 years and go to school every year for 8 weeks before you can become a journeyman.
Another option is to go into a union hall and see if they are hiring apprentices. I would suggest this option as union companies pay the most and some locals have excellent training facilities, such as the United Association local 488 in Edmonton (I am a UA member), more info here:
http://www.local488.ca/
Another good union local that always seems to be busy and hiring green hands is the Boiler Makers, local 146 in Edmonton. BM is a good trade, lots of work and is also high paying:
http://www.boilermakers.ca
When its busy, as it is now, many employers will hire inexperienced guys right off the street and get them trained and into an apprenticeship. The above options are good right now.
Another good option is the pre-employment route, if you do this, you won't be completely green when you show up on the job site and should have a good idea of the basics of the trade. Also, depending on the pre-employment course you take, you may be able to go right into second year apprenticeship and thus only have to do three more 8 week courses.
Check this website, it'll answer your questions in more detail:
http://www.tradesecrets.gov.ab.ca/
These schools are where you can do your trades training, either pre-employment or apprenticeship training in Alberta:
http://www.nait.ca
http://www.sait.ca
http://www.rdc.ab.ca
keyano.ca
lethbridgecollege.ca
I'd also recommend just moving out asap and getting any labour type job to pay the bills and hopefully save up some cash (and maybe even get into an apprenticeship), work til the fall or winter and go back to school then. School sucks but I'd rather be sitting in a warm class when its -35 outside then working!
Go back through the thread, look up online all of the companies that I listed, if they have job ads for labourers, then contact them. If they also employ skilled tradesmen (most do), then thats how you'd get a job. Start out on the bottom rung, don't be a retard and eventually you will be able to get into a trade that way.
good luck!