I managed to secure a gateway job to an electrician's apprentice position on Monday with one of the contractors listed in this thread, after just 5 days of being in Calgary. Including benefits, the 2 week on 1 off rotation should net around $100k per year, and it is only a helper job, not even an actual starter position. Everything scotian (and other great contributers) wrote here is worth its weight in gold. The only problem is it doesn't start till mid-January.

I am eager to do something other than blowing all my money in Banff in the meantime, so I am off to find a 4x4 vehicle with winter tires then drive up and look for a quick rotation directly in Ft Mac. If I can't find anything then Banff it is.

Thank you all very much. I will add relevant updates as they come.

I guess as Scotian mentioned i'll wait until mid January to make the move since it's slow by the end of December and the first 2 weeks of January ,also the aiplane tickets are twice more expensive this month
I'm trying to get any job lined up for me since i'll come with a tight budget but i guess they don't respond to out of province workers until they get there
I've done my research on welding and no one asked this question before
on the job marker is it better to be a 3rd year apprentice or do you think on the long term i should apply for the welding technician or a welding inspector program on Sait ?

my hats to Irishman,Djemba Djemba , kicks and others as the first on the forum to make the move all the way from Europe etc , glad to hear people finally made the move and made it
if anybody moving to Edmonton in early 2013 you can send me a PM

since Scotian posted a video of the type of people he has to work with in camps i found this video on welders and dingleberrys!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_-2Apzy5mc

(12-13-2012 12:55 AM)Ferro Wrote:  I managed to secure a gateway job to an electrician's apprentice position on Monday with one of the contractors listed in this thread, after just 5 days of being in Calgary. Including benefits, the 2 week on 1 off rotation should net around $100k per year, and it is only a helper job, not even an actual starter position. Everything scotian (and other great contributers) wrote here is worth its weight in gold. The only problem is it doesn't start till mid-January.

I am eager to do something other than blowing all my money in Banff in the meantime, so I am off to find a 4x4 vehicle with winter tires then drive up and look for a quick rotation directly in Ft Mac. If I can't find anything then Banff it is.

Thank you all very much. I will add relevant updates as they come.

Awesome! After just 5 days, wow. I'm assuming you took some pre-apprenticeship courses in order for you to land that, or did you have experience beforehand? If you don't mind sharing, which contractor ended up hiring you?

I'm looking to be an electrician as well but I plan to make the move in Feb. Hoping i can find something just as quick as you did.

Hey to everyone,

thanks to Irishman and Scotian for all the info.

Irishman I want to do the same type of work as you are doing now, and wondered if your degree is the determining factor in getting that job.
I don´t have a degree in anything but would have no problem with the physical side of starting out on a rig( as I´ve done evry type of physical work going) and wondered if you or anyone else on the forum knows what sort of possibilities there are for moving up without a degree

Or if there are any technical courses I could complete, either before going there or while there, that would improve my chances of moving up?

Thanks in advance and well done.

(12-13-2012 06:41 PM)Spickpaddy Wrote:  Hey to everyone,

thanks to Irishman and Scotian for all the info.

Irishman I want to do the same type of work as you are doing now, and wondered if your degree is the determining factor in getting that job.
I don´t have a degree in anything but would have no problem with the physical side of starting out on a rig( as I´ve done evry type of physical work going) and wondered if you or anyone else on the forum knows what sort of possibilities there are for moving up without a degree

Or if there are any technical courses I could complete, either before going there or while there, that would improve my chances of moving up?

Thanks in advance and well done.

Hey Spickpaddy

Ya the degree helped for sure but it was along with a lot of other things. I really sold myself well in the interview and did my research on every aspect on the job and company hiring me. They guy interviewing me could tell I would be a good choice to hire within a few minutes and was impressed ( heard this from the guy training me now). The guy training me has only a 2 year course done in petroleum technician. It is also possible by working the rigs for 1-3 years and showing an aptitude for maths and physics. Most people I work with have a course done of some kind though but again it is possible by switching over from the rig floor if you are motivated. It will take a while though.

Not too worry though as working on the rig floor is very well paid and also means that when you start as an MWD you have a good knowledge of drilling already which is a huge advantage. This is something I don't have so it holds me back a bit and means I have to work harder to learn.

My advice would be to start as a leasehand, gain some knowledge, move up to maybe motorhand or derrick and in the meantime keep applying for an MWD position. There is quite a few MWD companies up here so with the right approach and patience it should not take too long.

Hope that helps!

(12-13-2012 12:55 AM)Ferro Wrote:  I managed to secure a gateway job to an electrician's apprentice position on Monday with one of the contractors listed in this thread, after just 5 days of being in Calgary. Including benefits, the 2 week on 1 off rotation should net around $100k per year, and it is only a helper job, not even an actual starter position. Everything scotian (and other great contributers) wrote here is worth its weight in gold. The only problem is it doesn't start till mid-January.

I am eager to do something other than blowing all my money in Banff in the meantime, so I am off to find a 4x4 vehicle with winter tires then drive up and look for a quick rotation directly in Ft Mac. If I can't find anything then Banff it is.

Thank you all very much. I will add relevant updates as they come.

Good stuff Ferro. Looks like you followed the Scotian Steps to Success and now you are sorted. I highly recommened not blowing all your money and keep hustling. One lesson that I have learned is that hidden expenses can come out of nowhere (truck breaking down, not getting paid for a month after you start etc. ) so I would keep busy till you start and try find another way in the meantime of making some more quick cash. If you can get one rotation or some temp work even I would take it for sure. Plenty of time to party in the off season so make the most of winter while it is busy. I have found it hard myself- I am constantly tempted to go drinking or snowboarding. Best of luck man and again- well done.

(12-13-2012 10:48 PM)Irishman Wrote:  Good stuff Ferro. Looks like you followed the Scotian Steps to Success and now you are sorted. I highly recommened not blowing all your money and keep hustling. One lesson that I have learned is that hidden expenses can come out of nowhere (truck breaking down, not getting paid for a month after you start etc. ) so I would keep busy till you start and try find another way in the meantime of making some more quick cash. If you can get one rotation or some temp work even I would take it for sure. Plenty of time to party in the off season so make the most of winter while it is busy. I have found it hard myself- I am constantly tempted to go drinking or snowboarding. Best of luck man and again- well done.

Thanks man. SSS was gold, and finding a quick rotation now is exactly the plan. I am going to get a solid 4x4 with winter tires tomorrow, then drive to Ft Mac very early Monday morning. I won't need more than a week or two to max out my pleasure in Banff anyways... at least that is what my wallet hopes.

Congratulations on the great success you have been reporting. I appreciate the detailed boots-on-the-ground lessons you have been posting here. Have a Merry Christmas wherever you are.

Haha good stuff man. Ya I have Japer booked for 4 nights over New Years just not sure if I am going to have it off. If I do I am going to party like a madman. One downside to this type of work- I am at their call 24/7. Still I might be able to swing it. Have a happy Christmas too man!

(12-12-2012 12:14 AM)ilove Wrote:  Scotian,

Thanks for this very helpful thread. I'm ready to move to AB in the new year. I have no trade background whatsoever. I'm interested in becoming an electrician. I've perused this thread for a good couple months and spent countless hours researching elsewhere. What I don't understand is this. Most companies are looking for apprentices who are "indentured" or "registered". But you can't get indentured or registered without having a company sponsor you. That sounds like circular logic. Am I missing something here? What does a guy in a situation like myself, should do to get into the field?

The only route I can see is going through pre-apprenticeship courses at a college, which is something I am not willing to embrace. After all, if you get a company to indenture you, they will pay for your school right?

I'd appreciate some info on this.

Thanks again.

There are a handful of companies that indenture, the others don't. When are you planning on coming out? Do you have any type of trade aptitude? Have you worked in construction or anything before or are you green?

PM me what your background is and I'll give you some tips on how to make your resume as well as the companies that indenture.

DO NOT DO A PRE-APPRENTICESHIP.

It's just a hustle that's all. Be prepared.

And for all other guys that need a little more motivation....

the girls are fucking babes here. And fit and in shape.

That is all

(12-12-2012 09:59 AM)scotian Wrote:  

(12-11-2012 10:22 AM)Albertron Wrote:  Hey guys,

Like most people on this thread, I accidentally passed through this thread about 1.5 months ago when doing some research on the oil sands in Alberta. Just wanna give my kudos to scotian and the others that have massively contributed valuable information on this thread.

I've read through everything, did my end of the research on the companies posted here, allowed the info to simmer, and recently made the serious decision to go for it.

I will be making the move in February, in order for me to close off any financial, employment and personal ties here. A little bit about me to put everything in context. I'm 24 years old, Vietnamese-Canadian, currently in Toronto, Ontario. Completed my B.A. in Sociology in 2011, now I currently work in Home & Auto Insurance division with the Royal Bank of Canada, and don't like it at all. Corporate life is not for me, hence the decision to move. Zero experience in the trades, though I work as a Supervisor at a lube shop for about 4 years before this job. Not much of a job, but gave me some basic knowledge on tools and mechanics. I'm definitely more of a hands-on person, as I enjoy working with tools and prefer manual labour over sitting in front of a computer all the time. Still live with the parents, recently paid off student loans, currently in the 1st of a 3 year financing term for my car (2010 Honda Civic). I make $30k/year after taxes. Game-wise, close to nil. Just had a major case of oneitus for over 5 years. A horrible relationship. This move will be the first time moving out on my own and doing it on my own. Scared? Tbh, yes, but just glad that I've found this opportunity. Told myself to man the fuck up and do it.

From what I read through, I understand there are 3 safety tickets that are needed before employers in Alberta will consider me: CSTS, H2S Alive and OSSA Fall Protection, along with First Aid. Just completed my CSTS, I have an H2S Alive course lined up for mid Jan and OSSA I'm in the process of enrolling. First Aid course will be done this weekend.

In terms of bank roll, after liquidation I should have between $8k-$10k by Feb, and apparently $5k is more than enough to bring there. I just like extra cushion.

Living arrangements, Edmonton is closer to Fort Mac than Calgary, but apparently Calgary is a better city than Edmonton. Not sure how subjective that statement is but wondering if you guys that are there already can point me in the direction of more jobs. It was also stated that rent in Edmonton is about $400-600/month, which is very doable with my bank roll. Don't think I saw any info on rent in Calgary, but I would assume it's a little more if it's 'nicer' as people make it out to be. Transportation wise, I intend to get the cheapest car I can get there, like a shitty Honda Civic or something.

I understand that when I'm there, I'll be at the bottom of the barrel. My trade of choice is electrician, and I understand it will take about 2-4 years before I get journeyman status, that's fine. But in the mean time I will take anything that will pad my pockets up a bit. Not picky at all because I really have nothing to relate to in terms of job experience, so might as well get that experience so that I can justify my pickyness. As per some of scotian's posts, some companies will provide funding for your apprentice should you show some level of commitment to your work and the company, so I'm hoping to find such companies. Also, seems like joining a union is also the way to go in order to secure good wages and a good pension.

Scotian also posted some links on companies that hire newbies off the street: HSE integrated, United Safety, CEDA Group, Clean Harbors. It would be ideal for me to have something lined up for when I get there, so I will have my resume and cover letters updated and send them to these companies.

Ideally, I'd like to work up in Fort Mac and live in a camp there. Saw some Youtube vids of the camps there and doesn't seem like anything I cannot handle.

To avoid having questions all over the place, I've bundled them up here. Any response to these questions is greatly appreciated:

- I will be updating my resume to add the tickets, First Aid, and that I have a full driver's license on here. Is there anything else I should add there?
- How easy is it to find a place in Edmonton or Calgary? I know if I looked around some ads and newspapers I will find some but what I mean is are they usually abundant, or scarce?
- Any idea if the Alberta market value for old, used cars is nice and cheap? I'd like to be as frugal as possible.
- Any suggestions as to what unions have electricians, and where I can find them in Alberta? I'm very new to this whole 'union' thing but I understand that they are there for the worker's protection.
- Any suggestions for other companies that I should be focusing on, in terms of helping me with my electrician apprenticeship?

I may be missing some other things in my game plan, but understand that I've invested a lot of time and research in this and not taking this lightly at all. This will be done. If you guys think I'm missing anything, it would be great to have your input.

You should be good to go, especially with $8-10K saved up, just re-read the thread and you'll find all of the info you need but I'll try my best to answer your questions.

-A clean driver's abstract and class 5 is almost essential, go to the Ontario DMV and have your abstract printed off, include this with your resume. H2S and CSTS are the basic ones, First-Aid is good but not as important. Other ones such as confined space entry or fall arrest are good to have as well, but I wouldn't worry to much about them, although they all look good on a CV.

-A room to rent should be easy to find, both furnished or non. With the money you have, you could find a non-furnished one cheaper then furnish it with stuff bought at IKEA or used, online at craigslist or Kijiji. Both of those websites are good for rentals as well, also check rentfaster.ca and the local papers.

-You can pick up a decent car for $2-5K

-The electrical union is the IBEW local 424, google it and contact them, they can answer some questions. There's also CLAC, a sham union but they have lots of work all over western Canada.

-I listed basically all of the contractor companies in this thread that hire electricians (Kiewit, PCL, Chemco, JV Driver, Flint Energy Services, etc). Contact them and see what they say.

Another forum member recently moved to Calgary and got a job pretty quick with an electrical company, I'm pretty sure they're going to indenture him and he'll likely be off to school for a couple of months within a year to complete his first block of the four year apprencticeship.

Fort Mac doesn't indenture any electricians. Only Calgary and Edmonton. So pick one. I'm not in Edmonton.

The IBEW is basically non existent out here.

Calgary is a pretty tight rental markert right downtown, bu if you go further out, it's cheaper and easier.

On;y do your HS2 Alive , First Aid and CSTS if you can. Don't bother with the others as Scotian Said. If you need them, the company will get it for you.

PM me with any other q's. I want to see other guys make it.

PS. The weather fucking blows cocks

And jsut an FYI,

Buying tools fucking rules!

(12-14-2012 07:03 PM)Zeus Wrote:  And jsut an FYI,

Buying tools fucking rules!

Good info Zeus and don't forget to keep your receipts for those tools you buy, you can claim them on your taxes, up to $500 I believe. Also, if you do some research there's a lot of other tax writes off for apprentices in the trades that you can take advantage of.

You're right that Cowtown has some decent women, if you ever have a day off during the week in the summer, walk around downtown during lunch or the afternoon rush hour and you'll be amazed by the amount of attractive women walking around.

Feb is right around the corner and I'm excited as fuk, can't wait. Sorry for this retarded twitter like post but I had to dish it out.

(12-12-2012 09:22 PM)BadWolf Wrote:  China is about to flood the oil sands with low paid trades and workers, 3000 this year alone. Opinions?

I think this is the end of $$$ at the oil sands and the Canadian economy.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/story/20...enney.html

say goodbye to your jobs unless you like working for $10/hour

I have no problem with Chinese workers coming to Canada for a better life and to improve their futures, they're been coming here since the 19th century so its not like its anything new.

Its actually better for Canada that these tradesmen come here as permanent immigrants as opposed to TFW (Temporary Foreign Workers) because they will likely bring their families over and have kids, buy houses, pay taxes and make a positive contribution to the Canadian economy. Unlike TFWs who come here for a year or two, make a bunch of money then send it all home, which is a lot less beneficial to Canada.

We'll see what impact it has on wages, this scenario has already played out and it was bad press for the companies involved, I posted about this before but back in 06', two Chinese contractors were killed at CNRL's Horizon site, a few more were injured. It was later revealed that none of them spoke English and all were paid $6/hour by a Chinese engineering firm owned by their government. Cheap labour and cheap materials (shitty Romanian steel) were likely the reasons that place blew up back in January 2011, I made a killing in the subsequent nine month shut down that followed, I make money when shit blows up.

Also, not all of those Chinese workers will be going directly to the oil sands, many will go to coal mines in BC and other places across the country.

For too long Canada accepted unskilled, illiterate refugees who by and large are a drain on our social services, we also accepted under the "family reunification programme" the parents and grand parents of working age immigrants who never contributed to government coffers yet are entitled to health care and other benefits, again a net drain.

Anyway, now the federal government is putting more emphasis on skilled workers to address out labour shortages and less on people with skills we don't need, from the article" 'It was easier under the points system to get in if you had a post-doctorate degree in ancient Greek pottery as opposed to somebody who has 20 years experience as a welder or an electrician.'

If you're anti-immigrant then you have two groups of people to blame:

-Your fellow Canadians for not having families and enough children to support our pyramid scheme social welfare state, this includes me although I plan on having kids someday, just not in Canada for various reasons which we all bitch about here on the Rooshvforum.

-Canadian society for denigrating trades type work and convincing a generation of young people that the only way to be successful in life is to go to uni even if its a worthless degree such as a BA in feminist studies and basket weaving. Nobody wants to get their hands dirty anymore and you're considered a loser if you don't work 40 hours a week glued to a computer in an office.

I'm a realist and therefore pro-immigrant, I also support the Canadian government's actions to ensure we take in immigrants who will benefit our society and not mooch off of it.

I also highly doubt that I'll be making $10 ever again in my lifetime.

(12-13-2012 01:36 AM)Habsguy Wrote:  I guess as Scotian mentioned i'll wait until mid January to make the move since it's slow by the end of December and the first 2 weeks of January ,also the aiplane tickets are twice more expensive this month
I'm trying to get any job lined up for me since i'll come with a tight budget but i guess they don't respond to out of province workers until they get there
I've done my research on welding and no one asked this question before
on the job marker is it better to be a 3rd year apprentice or do you think on the long term i should apply for the welding technician or a welding inspector program on Sait ?

my hats to Irishman,Djemba Djemba , kicks and others as the first on the forum to make the move all the way from Europe etc , glad to hear people finally made the move and made it
if anybody moving to Edmonton in early 2013 you can send me a PM

since Scotian posted a video of the type of people he has to work with in camps i found this video on welders and dingleberrys!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_-2Apzy5mc

I laughed out loud at that video, that's the crowd you'll be working with as a welder's helper, especially on a pipeline job, they're the roughest crowd. I did pipeline work for about two months and pretty much swore I would never do it again, its hardcore!

I totally recommend you or anyone else to go into welding, its a great trade. If you're not sure whether or not you want to become an actual welder or you'd rather go into the QA/QC side of things (welding engineer, weld inspector, NDT inspector, etc) then I would suggest doing a few months or maybe up to a year of work as a welder's helper or as they call them in that video, a dingleberry!

With a year's hands-on experience as a welders' helper, you'll be ready to do your first year at school as an apprentice or you could take the two week Canadian Welding Bureau level one visual inspector's course (http://eng.cwbgroup.org/Training/Documen...2013.pdf). You could also get into NDT (Non Destructive testing) by taking course at SAIT (http://www.sait.ca/about-sait/schools/sc...php#NNDT), however be warned that weld inspectors and NDT technicians are considered to be some of the biggest homos on site and often get beat up at the bar in camp by disgruntled welders.

(12-15-2012 07:11 AM)scotian Wrote:  -Canadian society for denigrating trades type work and convincing a generation of young people that the only way to be successful in life is to go to uni even if its a worthless degree such as a BA in feminist studies and basket weaving. Nobody wants to get their hands dirty anymore and you're considered a loser if you don't work 40 hours a week glued to a computer in an office.

This has always been something I noticed with Canadian's mentality. They convinced Canadians that you need a degree to do anything in life. Too many canadians don't know what they want to do at that age. So they take some useless diploma and end up with a pile of debt working in a call centre.

I finished my high school in Welland, Ontario and most of my friends went to university and had trouble finding jobs unless they went back to school to become teachers.

Meanwhile there is huge shortage of tradesman in Canada that is only going to get larger as the older generation continues to retire.

The funny thing is someone with a college/university degree working at a call centre is likely to look down on a trades person.

As usual, quality posts from scotian and Irishman. I'll definitely be following those blueprints of what to do when I get there.

Awesome info Zeus. I've thought about the pre-apprenticeship before work but figured if I could find a company that would take me in green, then there's no sense in taking them.

I'm planning to go Edmonton, but a good heads up that the rental market in Calgary is tight. Don't wanna be staying in a hostel for too long. You mentioned that the IBEW is non-existent there. Can you elaborate on this? I saw that they have a head office in Edmonton and I was planning on visiting them first once I get a place to stay, get a cheap truck like Irishman and get all my admin stuff handled.

But of course, i'll be dropping off my resume everywhere in Edmonton. My resume isn't much but it'll show the certifications so I figure I should get the OSSA certification to add some bulk in there and show how serious I am.

Good to hear about the pretty ladies. I guess this will be a good place to start learning game.

Also, it's great to hear that some people will be making the move in the next few months. Hopefully I'll be able to meet you guys when I get there in Feb, build up some contacts and work on my networking skills. In reality, I'd just like to hear the stories of your journeys in person. Nothing's more motivating than to hear the progression of someone's goals that are similar or the same to your own.

Happy holidays, everyone.

(12-15-2012 07:42 AM)Damedius Wrote:  The funny thing is someone with a college/university degree working at a call centre is likely to look down on a trades person.

Very true. I told some of my co-workers about my plans and some called me crazy, because I'd rather work out in the elements than sit in front of a computer in a warm office for $30k/year. Others say 'Really, a trade? You can't go wrong with a bank on your resume'.

As you guys know, I went to Edmonton in October. Long story short, even tough it didn’t work out, I learned a lot in order to make my 2nd run a success. Here are some of the things I learned from my first attempt in making it in a completely new field, having no prior industrial/trades experience:

- Have a valid driving licence. This is HUGE. Edmonton is pretty spread out specially If you want to go to Nisku, the industrial area where all the head offices of the trades companies are located. There’s no bus that goes there and it’s about 45-50 bucks each way by cab. Can get pricey. Much better option to rent a car for a few days than cabbing it every day. Of course, the best is to have your own car.

- Have all your basic certifications ready (H2S Alive, Petroleum Safety Ticket or PST, First Aid). These are your most basic ones. Get those before applying to any companies. Without those, they won’t even look at you.

- Find a place to stay at as soon as you get there. I’d go as far as making that your very first priority. Get a place even before starting to apply for jobs. That will give you a HUGE peace of mind and will relieve a loooot of stress. Trust me on that! You definitely do not want to be the guy who is staying at a hostel and still pounding the pavement looking for a job and not knowing where you will be sleeping next week. (that was me and it wasn't pretty...)...

- Have a healthy budget. Obviously the more you bring, the better off you’d be but as a rule of thumb, have at leas 5-6$k.

Fast forward to 2 weeks ago, I registered for a 1 week course in Hamilton in non destructive testing. The course will be held the 3rd week of Jan. The course's fee is 1100$. Once that is completed, I will have a much better chance of getting into the trade I want to. This is a very nicely paid skill. And it’s not as demanding physically as say working as labourer or on a rig. After a year, once I have the necessary tickets, that will take me into the 6 figures and be able to live it up like Scotian is doing. And after 3-4 years, with more tickets and experience, then I will be golden and can get overseas in more desirable locations. In the words of the Great Scotian, all of this for a 1 week 1100$ course!!!! Who needs a 40-50K useless BA in basket weaving?

Needless to say, I’m very excited. Knowing what I know now and equipped with the safety tickets and experience, I am sure this time, when I return to Edmonton or Calgary, I will be successful this time! I haven’t decided yet as to whether to return at the end of Jan or Feb or even wait till March when the weather improves a bit and the busy shut down season/hiring season starts again. But regardless of when I will return, I do know that this time around, it will be a success as I’m prepared this time!

I can’t thank the guys in here enough. Of course, Scotian, you’re a LEGEND man. It was awesome hanging out and partying a bit with you in E town. Irishman, your story is truly inspiring and I’m sure you will get very very far and succeed big time. DjembaDjemba, brother, will never forget all you did for me man. Kick, thank you so much for answering my questions about your trade which is what I’m interested in getting into. You guys all ROCK! All of the guys who are looking to make the move to AB, you already have a bunch of top top notch guys there to answer your questions, inspire you, show you around, have a few drinks with and make you feel a bit more comfortable making the move knowing you have friends there to assist. It doesn’t get better than these guys. Really!

So all of you guys looking at making this potentially life changing move, do it but come prepared! You might luck out and get something good right away, but better be prepared to put all the cards in your favor of succeeding.

To everyone's success!!!

funny reading about this from the white collar side of the o&g industry. even with the standard industry premium our salaries are pretty much the same as desk jockeys anywhere.

(12-15-2012 06:04 PM)Vacancier Permanent Wrote:  Fast forward to 2 weeks ago, I registered for a 1 week course in Hamilton in non destructive testing. The course will be held the 3rd week of Jan. The course's fee is 1100$. Once that is completed, I will have a much better chance of getting into the trade I want to. This is a very nicely paid skill. And it’s not as demanding physically as say working as labourer or on a rig. After a year, once I have the necessary tickets, that will take me into the 6 figures and be able to live it up like Scotian is doing. And after 3-4 years, with more tickets and experience, then I will be golden and can get overseas in more desirable locations. In the words of the Great Scotian, all of this for a 1 week 1100$ course!!!! Who needs a 40-50K useless BA in basket weaving?

What is the difference between your $1100 course and the $8800 NDT course at SAIT in Calgary? Something seems amiss.

Ferro,
My understanding is that the course at
nait is one semester long and more of an overview of the o&g/ndt industries while the course I registered for is only one week long focusing on only one very specific non destructive testing method. Hence the tuition difference.

Also while both are valuable courses, technically you dont need any of them. But they sure help you be better prepared and show to prospective employers that you are serious and are in this for the long term. This can play to your favour in getting hired faster.

In both cases, whether you do take any such courses or not,you will start at the bottom as a trainee.
Hope this helps.

Vacancier plz check your PM

Nima,
Im out now. I'll answer your pm when i get home either later tonight or tomorrow morning.

Just wanting to ask your advice for clarification on a few things specific to my circumstances, and hopefully this isn't rehashing what's already been said.
Thanks VP also for offering constructive ideas after trying and failing.

So I'm a TFW from Australia - currently working in retail travel sales and never previously employed in an industrial/trade field.
I'm very interested in doing a 3 to 4 month stint from the start of April during the busy shutdown phase. Not so keen on doing something so intensely physically demanding, but it seemed from the original few posts that this won't be necessary. Is that a safe assumption?

I was already planning on getting my First Aid certification, and now will look into the H2S and PST as VP mentioned.
On this, how do the online cert causes appear in the eyes of a prospective employer?
For example - https://www.alertfirstaid.com/onlinecourses/H2S

And are there any specific companies I should be targeting who'll be more open to hiring a green worker such as myself?
I just don't want to make a rash decision to race up to Alberta come spring and fall into a hole because I couldn't find anything. I'm on a tight schedule to work, travel around and go back home by Feb 2014.

Any advice would be perfect, thanks guys