Yea for sure Scotian! I'm deffo up for a good drink up. With hopefully some more of the thread participants I still haven't met coz of these long hours .
Warning: Could get messy...

All great with me so far. The work is hard going; tough as nails these Canadians but top guys to work alongside.
Sweating my testicles off at the moment on our current project - the pressure is on all day every day, day in day out.

And it's bloody hot weather here now! The mosquito's here are vicious bastards I can tell ya. Even worse than Oz.

(05-31-2013 05:50 AM)scotian Wrote:  So I updated my facebook status yesterday to inform my friends that I"m heading back to Alberta and decided to add that I'm looking for work, by today I had five different leads from different companies. Here's what I was offered:

-Pipeline gig in Bonneyville, Alberta
-Steady work in Fort Mac, living in the city
-Steady work based out of Edmonton, probably lots of field work
-Four days on, four off at a coal mine near Fernie BC (this one would be sweet because Fernie is an awesome town, great snowboarding in the winter, golf and fishing in the summer)
-Five month shutdown in Saskatchewan

The coal mine gig really interested me but I'm going to pass because I plan on taking next winter off again, good to know that a sweet job like that exists though. I'm probably going to take the shutdown gig in Saskatchewan because its with a company I've already worked for and I know a few of the guys on it (including my best friend who traveled with me in Asia), it should be pretty easy going and it will be a good opportunity for me to learn new things and advance my career. So if I take this gig, I will probably work for five months straight with the least amount of days off as possible then come November I will fuck off somewhere warm again!

Oh ya, the start date on the Sask job is June 10th so I will only have a few days in Edmonton, hopefully some of you guys will be around then.

I partied and hung out with a bunch of Canadians who worked in the mines in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan and they were making about $12k USD equivalent a month.

Thank you scotian, Irishman and all for this thread!

I've been in Edmonton for about a month now. In my first week, I found a place to stay and a job as a laborer.

If you haven't learned any trade (yet) like me, expect to be paid about 15 to 20 CAD, for example in construction or landscaping. You can look for job ads on sites like http://jobbank.gc.ca and http://edmonton.kijiji.ca . The latter one is very popular here and you can also use it to look for housing, a car, a bike or whatever you need to get things going. I also applied in person but the industrial areas are huge so I just sent out a lot of online applications and got lucky. Although many employers require you to own a vehicle, there is also work for those of us who rely on public transportation. It can be challenging, though: http://etstripplanner.edmonton.ca/PlanYourTrip.aspx . A single ticket is $3.20 and you are expected to pay the exact amount in cash. So if you don't plan to buy a vehicle in the coming weeks, get an ETS monthly pass for $89 available in many stores and supermarkets. Just ask an employee at Safeways, Sobeys, Rexall (btw pharmacists can earn good money in Edmonton) etc. To get from YEG into Edmonton take the 747 to Century Park Transit Centre for $5. To have a bed for the first days I also recommend the HI-Edmonton Hostel near Whyte Avenue (the main nightlife district along with Jasper Avenue).

Things to do on your first day/first Monday:

- Look for a room/apartment.

- Get your Social Insurance Number at a Service Canada Centre, e.g. here: http://www.servicecanada.gc.ca/cgi-bin/s...754&ln=eng . You can also look for jobs there online.

- Now that you have your SIN and thus one more official ID besides your passport, you should head to your bank of choice and get a bank account. I'm under the impression that Scotia Bank has the most convenient branch network. You can find it almost anywhere. BMO is also widerspread. Personally, I'm with RBC so I don't know the terms of the other institutes but RBC offers a speacial account that is free for the first six months.

- Get a phone number. I recommend a SpeakOut SIM Card + prepaid Top Up from 7eleven if you don't yet want to commit yourself to a contract.

- If you have left the hostel by now, you are good to go looking for work.

(06-01-2013 01:11 AM)sugafree Wrote:  

(05-31-2013 05:50 AM)scotian Wrote:  So I updated my facebook status yesterday to inform my friends that I"m heading back to Alberta and decided to add that I'm looking for work, by today I had five different leads from different companies. Here's what I was offered:

-Pipeline gig in Bonneyville, Alberta
-Steady work in Fort Mac, living in the city
-Steady work based out of Edmonton, probably lots of field work
-Four days on, four off at a coal mine near Fernie BC (this one would be sweet because Fernie is an awesome town, great snowboarding in the winter, golf and fishing in the summer)
-Five month shutdown in Saskatchewan

The coal mine gig really interested me but I'm going to pass because I plan on taking next winter off again, good to know that a sweet job like that exists though. I'm probably going to take the shutdown gig in Saskatchewan because its with a company I've already worked for and I know a few of the guys on it (including my best friend who traveled with me in Asia), it should be pretty easy going and it will be a good opportunity for me to learn new things and advance my career. So if I take this gig, I will probably work for five months straight with the least amount of days off as possible then come November I will fuck off somewhere warm again!

Oh ya, the start date on the Sask job is June 10th so I will only have a few days in Edmonton, hopefully some of you guys will be around then.

I partied and hung out with a bunch of Canadians who worked in the mines in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan and they were making about $12k USD equivalent a month.

I personally wouldn't work at a mine in Kyrgyzstan if I had to put up with this shit, most guys working in Fort mac make 12K net in three weeks, I know lots of guys who make double that and don't have to worry about the Natives getting restless (well maybe on Franklin Ave at night haha).

(06-01-2013 02:01 AM)Heinrich Wrote:  Thank you scotian, Irishman and all for this thread!

I've been in Edmonton for about a month now. In my first week, I found a place to stay and a job as a laborer.

If you haven't learned any trade (yet) like me, expect to be paid about 15 to 20 CAD, for example in construction or landscaping. You can look for job ads on sites like http://jobbank.gc.ca and http://edmonton.kijiji.ca . The latter one is very popular here and you can also use it to look for housing, a car, a bike or whatever you need to get things going. I also applied in person but the industrial areas are huge so I just sent out a lot of online applications and got lucky. Although many employers require you to own a vehicle, there is also work for those of us who rely on public transportation. It can be challenging, though: http://etstripplanner.edmonton.ca/PlanYourTrip.aspx . A single ticket is $3.20 and you are expected to pay the exact amount in cash. So if you don't plan to buy a vehicle in the coming weeks, get an ETS monthly pass for $89 available in many stores and supermarkets. Just ask an employee at Safeways, Sobeys, Rexall (btw pharmacists can earn good money in Edmonton) etc. To get from YEG into Edmonton take the 747 to Century Park Transit Centre for $5. To have a bed for the first days I also recommend the HI-Edmonton Hostel near Whyte Avenue (the main nightlife district along with Jasper Avenue).

Things to do on your first day/first Monday:

- Look for a room/apartment.

- Get your Social Insurance Number at a Service Canada Centre, e.g. here: http://www.servicecanada.gc.ca/cgi-bin/s...754&ln=eng . You can also look for jobs there online.

- Now that you have your SIN and thus one more official ID besides your passport, you should head to your bank of choice and get a bank account. I'm under the impression that Scotia Bank has the most convenient branch network. You can find it almost anywhere. BMO is also widerspread. Personally, I'm with RBC so I don't know the terms of the other institutes but RBC offers a speacial account that is free for the first six months.

- Get a phone number. I recommend a SpeakOut SIM Card + prepaid Top Up from 7eleven if you don't yet want to commit yourself to a contract.

- If you have left the hostel by now, you are good to go looking for work.

Well done Heinrich, did you come from abroad or are you Canadian?

First thing, Great thread Scotian! It is really good to see everyone trying to help each other. I wish I would have had a lot of this information 16 years ago when I was your age.

I would also like to share some of my research and experience with you guys, but from an American Citizen perspective regarding how to break into the Canadian oil patch and energy sector. I apologize in advance if this post runs long, but I am trying to put out as much info as possible to help point you guys in the right direction.

Little background about me, I personally have 16+ years of International Business Development and Commercial Management experience in the Oil & Gas and Mining sectors with a focus on Asia. My educational background is a 4 year BBA in Marketing. I have been working internationally for 16+ years, basically since I was 23 years old. I took a chance and flew to Asia back in 1996 and I was in the right place at the right time and landed a natural gas marketing job. Working in the oil sector can be done, but you have to do your research, cut the umbilical cord from mommy, and get off your ass and go meet people in person the old fashioned way. Yes, I realize that now you must also go to a lot of the companies’ online websites and apply online, but I am telling you from experience and from hiring people myself, the guys who take a chance to show up in person will 8 times out of 10 get the job over an online application if a position is available. But if you are a US Citizen and want to work in Canada, you will need a Canadian work permit and you will need to go a different route.

Let me be clear, I do NOT work in Canada, I work in Asia. I am currently researching information for my stepsons regarding the Canadian oil patch and I have found a lot of information that I would like to share with you guys. Please keep in mind, this info is coming from a US Citizen point of view.

I have contacted the department advisors for the 2 year Petroleum Engineering Technology programs at SAIT and NAIT. Both schools have advised me that if a US Citizen completes the 2 year degree, the schools will then work with the US students to secure Canadian employment and a work permit for Canada. I did not ask about the trades as I am pushing my stepsons to finish a 2 year degree in Petroleum Engineering Technology. The Trade’s program that Scotian completed sounds great, but I don’t know if they will provide US Citizens with a work permit or not, that is something that you will have to ask on your own if you are interested in going that route to Canada. My research is strictly for the 2 year degree route.

I have also learned through research that after US Citizens receive a work permit, we can then work with a Canadian law firm to secure a PR or Canadian Citizenship. Here is an example of one of the Canadian Law firms I found that you can contact that specialize in this area:

http://paceimmigration.com/

As US Citizens we are allowed to have dual citizenship. If you want to look at working in Canada for the long term and take advantage of the worker shortage, I suggest that you take this path as it will open up a lot of doors. This will also give you the flexibility to work in the US or Canadian oil patch so that you can always find work if there is a slowdown in the future due to a drop in oil prices. Keep in mind, the cost to produce 1 barrel of bitumen from the Canadian Oil Sands is much more than the production costs of 1 barrel of US Sweet Crude from the oil shale formations. I believe that oil prices will never drop below $70 a barrel, but it is always best not to put all of your eggs in one basket and be as flexible as possible in the oil patch. Things can change overnight and you need to use some common sense to stay ahead of the game.

If you are 18 -20 years old and are thinking about attending college, I suggest that you skip the liberal arts and BA degree bullshit and look into SAIT or NAIT in Canada and take one of their Engineering Technology programs. The 2 year PET program will cost you about $27,000 for tuition alone for "non-Canadian residents", but the employment rate after graduation is over 95% and starting salaries are roughly $60,000 - $70,000 for 40 hours a week. This degree is focused on teaching you the basics in drilling, production, and reservoir engineering and it will groom you to work with engineers as a Petroleum or Production technician/technologist.

If you would like to work on completing a 4 year BSc in Petroleum Engineering after you complete your 2 year PET program at SAIT, they have transfer relationships with the following colleges on the link below:

http://www.sait.ca/programs-and-courses/...ptions.php

If you are interested in a 4 year BSc PE ENG degree and you are strapped for cash, I would suggest that you use your 2 year degree from SAIT or NAIT to enter the workforce to generate income and then start to save up funds to go back to school when you have enough cash to complete the 4 year degree. In the long run, the 4 year BSc in PE ENG will generate you millions of dollars in income over your career and allow you to qualify for expat positions around the world and keep your qualifications competitive.

For you US guys that are saying you don’t have funds to attend SAIT or NAIT, I would then suggest you to go to the website below to secure a student loan for a US college. Create an account and fill out your information. It takes about 1 week to process your application.

https://fafsa.ed.gov/

You can then look at pursuing a 2 year Petroleum Engineering Technology degree at Houston Community College, similar to the ones offered at SAIT and NAIT, but in the US. HCC’s 2 year PET program is the “only” 2 year PET program supported by the Society of Petroleum Engineers. The program is also supported by BP and other major energy companies in the industry. I believe the tuition costs for out of state students will be around $10,000 - $13,000 for 2 years. The starting salary is $60,000 - $70,000 for 40 hours a week and I am told by my colleagues that work in Houston that a lot of the energy companies recruit graduates of HCC’s PET program for technologist and technician positions in Texas. With the program being located in Houston you will have a ton of opportunity to secure work after you complete the degree. Here is the link to HCC’s PET Program.

http://www.hccs.edu/hccs/business-commun...technology

HCC also offers a 2 year Associates of Engineering degree that will allow you to transfer to a 4 year BSc Petroleum Engineering program at one of the 4 year Texas colleges (UT Austin, Texas A&M, University of Houston, Texas Tech). The benefit of attending a community college is that you can take the same engineering core classes offered at the 4 year institutions in Math, Physics, Chemistry, ect.., and pay less than half of what the 4 year big colleges charge in tuition costs for the first 2 years. This will save you tons of cash. Here is the program:

http://northwest.hccs.edu/northwest/acad...g-sciences

HCC also offers trades, but I will let you research that yourselves.
The University of North Dakota also offers online accredited 4 year engineering degrees that you can take while you are working after you get your 2 year degree. It can take 3-6 years to finish online, depending on how many credit hours you take per semester. Here is the website for you to research if you are interested. The online 4year BSc Petroleum Engineering degree will receive ABET Accreditation later this year according to the UND Petroleum Engineering Department Chair. All of the other online engineering degrees have ABET Accreditation.

http://distance.und.edu/engineering/?viewby=DEG

I have also read on this forum where a lot of Europeans are looking to get into the oil patch. I would suggest that you guys look at Robert Gordon University’s website in Aberdeen Scotland. Aberdeen is the oil capital of Europe and this university has a 98% job placement rate. They offer some really good undergrad engineering degrees, and a lot of their graduate degree programs can be taken 100% online. Here is the website.

http://www.rgu.ac.uk/areas-of-study/subj...-full-time

People who have a 4 year undergraduate degree (business, engineering, ect..) with at least 2 years of energy experience, I would suggest that you look at getting a MBA in Oil and Gas Management from RGU. It can be taken 100% online and it takes roughly 3 years to complete. The MBA director will work with you to find your dream position after you complete the program. I am currently looking at this program myself as I would like the opportunity to work in Energy Investment Banking and work in Global oil and gas Mergers and Acquisitions. Here is the website:

http://www.rgu.ac.uk/business-management...anagement1

So you guys who have a BA like I do, there is light at the end of the tunnel if you took this route, you just have to go make your luck! Go take an entry level job in the oil patch to get your 2 years of experience and then you can start on your MBA in O&G Mgmt.

In closing, let me say this. If you attend one of these technical schools or 4yr BSc PE ENG programs, you need to go meet your professors “and show interest” in learning and “ask questions” regarding career paths. Get involved with the career services people early and stay aggressive in your job search and “network”! You can say it is sucking up, but in the real world you have to build rapport with people to create long-lasting business relationships so that you can take advantage of job opportunities. It is more about who you know rather than what you know in this business. I have been doing this for 16+ years and I am still learning new things everyday!
Good luck to all of my Canadian and American brothers and sisters. I wish you all tons of success!!!

Busdev, great post +1 from me and welcome to the forum thanks a lot for sharing that valuable information, I sent you a PM.

(06-01-2013 02:25 AM)scotian Wrote:  

(06-01-2013 02:01 AM)Heinrich Wrote:  (...)

Well done Heinrich, did you come from abroad or are you Canadian?

Thank you, I came over from Germany after I had successfully applied for a Working Holiday Visa (one year work permit). My plan is to work at least until the end of October and then I'll decide if I want to stay and work for the whole year to be eligible to apply for permanent residency and take things further.

(06-01-2013 02:56 AM)Heinrich Wrote:  

(06-01-2013 02:25 AM)scotian Wrote:  

(06-01-2013 02:01 AM)Heinrich Wrote:  (...)

Well done Heinrich, did you come from abroad or are you Canadian?

Thank you, I came over from Germany after I had successfully applied for a Working Holiday Visa (one year work permit). My plan is to work at least until the end of October and then I'll decide if I want to stay and work for the whole year to be eligible to apply for permanent residency and take things further.

Welcome to Canada and good luck, the summers in Etown are decent, sun doesn't go down until 2300 and on some nights you can see the northern lights. You should stick around for the winter, working outside in -35 is awesome!

Thanks for the welcome Sotian. I just replied to your PM.

(06-01-2013 02:43 AM)scotian Wrote:  Busdev, great post +1 from me and welcome to the forum thanks a lot for sharing that valuable information, I sent you a PM.

(06-01-2013 02:28 AM)BusDev Wrote:  First thing, Great thread Scotian! It is really good to see everyone trying to help each other. I wish I would have had a lot of this information 16 years ago when I was your age.

I would also like to share some of my research and experience with you guys, but from an American Citizen perspective regarding how to break into the Canadian oil patch and energy sector. I apologize in advance if this post runs long, but I am trying to put out as much info as possible to help point you guys in the right direction.

AWESOME INFO! THanks for sharing! Your advice DOES work when a person uses it. I've encountered more than one engineer who took a similar route and they are happy they did.

Ok, thanks for the advices on european gigs. For us europeans that seems to be the only realistic solution.

I was looking around the various sites, and Scotland seems to be the best in this bussines, as far as european continent is concerned.

Now, are there any slight chances to get a rostabout gig (or whatever name that is for the complete rookies) through online applies, as far as Scotland is concerned? Do they lack work force like the States and Canada as well?

Welcome to the forum BusDev! And thank you for that smashing post! Should be made sticky in here and mandatory reading for everyone, specially the younger guys!
+1 from me as well!

(06-01-2013 03:23 AM)BusDev Wrote:  Thanks for the welcome Sotian. I just replied to your PM.

(06-01-2013 02:43 AM)scotian Wrote:  Busdev, great post +1 from me and welcome to the forum thanks a lot for sharing that valuable information, I sent you a PM.

Hi there fellas.

Been reading through this thread and I decided to join.
A big thanks to OP for making this. Im sure its helped a lot of people.

My question:
I am a carpenter looking for fly-in fly-out camp work. I live in BC.
Any leads? I've tried searching, but haven't been able to come up with much.

Thanks.



And while I am here, I would be happy to answer any questions related to my trade or the trade industry in general.

Peace.

SP, welcome to the forum. Your best bet to find what you're looking for is to go to Edmonton for a couple of weeks or so. No way around it really. Best of luck!

(06-01-2013 06:31 PM)Super Carpenter Wrote:  Hi there fellas.

Been reading through this thread and I decided to join.
A big thanks to OP for making this. Im sure its helped a lot of people.

My question:
I am a carpenter looking for fly-in fly-out camp work. I live in BC.
Any leads? I've tried searching, but haven't been able to come up with much.

Peace.

Keep reading there's a whole page that mentioned tips for Carpenters. Yup should be around pages 30 and 40. indeed.ca is your best search tool. If your a ticketed carpenter, indeed.ca, JV Drivers has work in BC. Lots of construction projects happening in Edmonton and Calgary.

Hey guys, I just wanted to say thanks for all of this valuable info on this forum.

I just recently moved from BC to Edmonton and got a job as a cook at a camp by the rigs making pretty decent coin. Pretty much doubled my income but I am still not satisfied as cooks/chefs dont really make that much money overall. ($3000-4000 month). I would say im hard working and I already saved up around $5000 and am looking to take a course or something that will eventually help me earn 100,000+ a year. Although Im not to sure if Im the tradesman type, I would consider. I wouldnt mind becoming a safety officer, I just dont know how much they make.

I would really appreciate it if someone can point me in the right direction, as I know Alberta is the province to make some wicked cash.



Thanks guys, Ivan T.

(06-01-2013 08:59 PM)IvanT1 Wrote:  Hey guys, I just wanted to say thanks for all of this valuable info on this forum.
I wouldnt mind becoming a safety officer, I just dont know how much they make.

I would really appreciate it if someone can point me in the right direction, as I know Alberta is the province to make some wicked cash.



Thanks guys, Ivan T.

http://alis.alberta.ca/wageinfo/Content/...&Page=Home

If you're not a Trades guy, get into Engineering or Instrumentation Tech.


Lots of Occupational vids linked below.

http://www.youtube.com/user/ALISwebsite/...rid&view=0

Also keep in mind, it's not what you do as much as it is HOW you do it that determines your fortunes. So whatever you choose to do, do it well, make it known you do it well, and take it from there.

I am not too sure about the Roustabout job opportunities as I work on the business side of the oil and gas business. But I do know in the US you MUST have a work visa to secure employment and I highly doubt any company will sponsor a work visa for an "unskilled" roustabout position. US companies normally sponsor engineers with a 4 year and/or master degrees, accounting degrees, and doctors. These guys normally move to the front of the line for work permit sponsorship.

The UK is probably your most realistic option because of the EU connection. The UK is tough because of the Tier 1 Visa restrictions for employment. The UK just changed all of their work visa requirements and made it more difficult to secure a work permit. Since you are from the EU, do you still need a work visa to secure a job in the UK? I would check out this school in Aberdeen if I were you and start asking them what offshore tickets are required to qualify to go offshore?

http://www.aberdeen-drilling.com/

Here is a Scotish site for relocation.

http://www.talentscotland.com/Workers.aspx

Another option is to contact someone in HR at Maersk Drilling. Go on Linkedin.com if you have too, so you can connect with someone in the HR dept. I know they have training programs for engineering students to become drillers and they all start out as roustabouts/floorman. They do a lot of drilling in the North Sea and are a great place to start if you can get on.

You can send out your resume online, but you will have more success showing up at the drilling offices in the shipyards around Scotland. But make sure you know which oil tickets you need first to qualify to go offshore. This will make you much more attractive to hire. Good luck!

(06-01-2013 01:38 PM)Jourgensen Wrote:  Ok, thanks for the advices on european gigs. For us europeans that seems to be the only realistic solution.

I was looking around the various sites, and Scotland seems to be the best in this bussines, as far as european continent is concerned.

Now, are there any slight chances to get a rostabout gig (or whatever name that is for the complete rookies) through online applies, as far as Scotland is concerned? Do they lack work force like the States and Canada as well?

A motivational vid: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYBgkpWA_SA

(06-01-2013 07:55 PM)Vacancier Permanent Wrote:  SP, welcome to the forum. Your best bet to find what you're looking for is to go to Edmonton for a couple of weeks or so. No way around it really. Best of luck!

Huh, I suppose that might be my best bet. Thanks.
I got a bud up there right now anyways.
Just don't really have the money or time to go up there right now.
Where there is a will, there is a way!

(06-01-2013 08:22 PM)RossTan Wrote:  Keep reading there's a whole page that mentioned tips for Carpenters. Yup should be around pages 30 and 40. indeed.ca is your best search tool. If your a ticketed carpenter, indeed.ca, JV Drivers has work in BC. Lots of construction projects happening in Edmonton and Calgary.

Checked out the pages u suggested. Thanks.
I didn't find what I was looking for on indeed or JV. However, I found a lot of postings for other trades.
I am sure that something will come up if I check the posting regularly.

[/quote]

(06-01-2013 08:22 PM)RossTan Wrote:  Keep reading there's a whole page that mentioned tips for Carpenters. Yup should be around pages 30 and 40. indeed.ca is your best search tool. If your a ticketed carpenter, indeed.ca, JV Drivers has work in BC. Lots of construction projects happening in Edmonton and Calgary.

Checked out the pages u suggested. Thanks.
I didn't find what I was looking for on indeed or JV. However, I found a lot of postings for other trades.
I am sure that something will come up if I check the posting regularly.

[/quote]

http://www.indeed.ca/jobs?q=carpenter&l=bc

All these postings in BC for carpenters.

Are you able to pick your rotation schedule? By that I mean can I specifically for a 24 on 7 off or is it whatever is available is what you get?

(06-02-2013 10:26 AM)Super Carpenter Wrote:  

(06-01-2013 07:55 PM)Vacancier Permanent Wrote:  SP, welcome to the forum. Your best bet to find what you're looking for is to go to Edmonton for a couple of weeks or so. No way around it really. Best of luck!

Huh, I suppose that might be my best bet. Thanks.
I got a bud up there right now anyways.
Just don't really have the money or time to go up there right now.
Where there is a will, there is a way!

(06-01-2013 08:22 PM)RossTan Wrote:  Keep reading there's a whole page that mentioned tips for Carpenters. Yup should be around pages 30 and 40. indeed.ca is your best search tool. If your a ticketed carpenter, indeed.ca, JV Drivers has work in BC. Lots of construction projects happening in Edmonton and Calgary.

Checked out the pages u suggested. Thanks.
I didn't find what I was looking for on indeed or JV. However, I found a lot of postings for other trades.
I am sure that something will come up if I check the posting regularly.

PCL
Jacobs
Bird
Flint
Jv Driver
KBR
Fluor
Pacer
Ellis Don
Aecon
BFI
Graham
Atco
Carmac
Worley Parsons
Park Deroiche
Ledcor
Kiewitt
Casman
Pagnotta
Corgan
CBS

All of these companies employ camp carpenter's in and around the Fort Mac area, if you are ticketed you should have no problem finding work.

I would call up the HR department in each one of these companies until I got a job, ask to arrange an interview rather than for a job directly, once you get the interview you're as good as hired.

Just be sure to have your safety courses done in advance CSTS and OSSA Orientation are essential.
Confined Space permit, OSSA Fall arrest and H2S Alive are also important but not always essential.

There is also the Carpenter's Union hall 1325 or if things get really bad CLAC

Hey everyone! I was posting before xmas about my plans to get out to the oilsands and start making some good money. After what felt like an eternity and many, many headaches regarding the IEC visa, I have just received my letter of acceptance and I am getting ready to roll.

Thanks once again to everyone on the thread and a particular thank you to Lux, Irishman and Scotian. I feel that the information contained in the thread has prepared me for what lies ahead, both good and bad!! My plan, like many others, is to look for rig work and I am confident of achieving this. I plan on arriving in Alberta in late August which should give me a good chance of hunting down work before the main drilling season gets going.

I am curious to know if Alberta is showing any signs of slowing down or are the opportunities as good as ever? I was just thinking that with the massive influx of foreign workers, maybe the demand within the industry has slowed? I know plenty of UK and Irish firms are now recruiting and organizing visas for all kinds of trades men. Where once it was relatively unheard of, now everyone seems to know someone who is heading for the oilsands... Including myself!!

Anyway, thanks yet again to everyone who has contributed to such an engrossing thread!!