Alberta/Oil Sand jobs????

[westopher]

Originally Posted by meowjinboo

you think its easy to do a trade?

Doesn't matter, he will just suck off of his parents financial tit for most of his life anyway til they blow all their money on gucci handbags and ferrari californias and can't support him anymore.

[Mining]

Originally Posted by jasonturbo

Hmmmm, can't say I agree with much of anything you said. Not trying to sound like a dick, it's just a matter of perspective I suppose.

I've been contracting for 7+ years and hold a fairly senior position with a major company, if I would have listened to your advice 7 years ago and taken a salary job.... I would have made half the money that I did, and I would have paid twice as much tax.

Definitely dependent on what your job is, how well you perform, and what the company is striving towards. When you got your job it was 7 years ago, and now that you are a senior and pretty much know everything to your job they must want to keep you. But nowadays this is the trend I'm seeing with consultants to be more specific. I should have mentioned that, that the contractors I see leaving are consultants and not trades. This is something I see at my work place anyway.

Good point nonetheless. Much depends on perspective I can't agree with that.

[godwin]

Alberta's Economy Sizzles. The Rest of Canada's Fizzles
By Greg Quinn July 31, 2014

In Canada’s economy there’s Alberta, then there’s everywhere else. The oil- and gas-rich western province added 81,800 jobs over the last 12 months, while the rest of Canada lost 9,500. Canada’s jobless rate is 7.1 percent, Alberta’s 4.9 percent. Alberta’s trade surplus, C$7.4 billion ($6.8 billion) in May, almost matched the trade deficit rung up by all the other provinces. Growth in gross domestic product for Alberta, forecast at 3.5 percent this year, beats projected growth for the rest. The province is drawing thousands of young people, most in search of energy jobs that pay in the six figures. It has been “effectively the lone driver” of recent housing starts in Canada, the Bank of Montreal (BMO) estimates. Alberta’s per capita gross domestic product will reach C$88,000 next year, C$35,000 more than the rest of Canada, Toronto-Dominion Bank (TD) economists predict.

The rise of Alberta poses a challenge to policymakers. Oil wealth has strengthened the Canadian dollar, battering exports by Ontario and Quebec, the two provinces traditionally at the center of the nation’s economy. Canada’s central bank is keeping interest rates near historic lows, helping to weaken the currency. The policy has boosted local demand, but the Canadian dollar is still strong enough to blunt industrial exports. Alberta oil producers are selling heavy oil derived from tar sands at $78 a barrel. Almost all their customers are in the U.S., where local per-barrel prices range from $90 to $106.

“We see a two-track economy,” Bank of Canada Governor Stephen Poloz told reporters on July 16 after he extended the longest pause in interest rate hikes since the 1950s. Canada’s non-energy exports have disappointed, he said, while energy exports have been strong. “Right now we don’t have a sustainable growth picture in Canada,” said Poloz.

The two-tier model threatens a decades-old federal policy to make manufacturing the heart of Canada’s economy. A 1965 pact established a single U.S.-Canada market for autos, and a 1988 free-trade agreement to wipe out tariffs on goods traded by the two nations was later expanded to include Mexico. Now Ontario, long the most populous province, has been hurt by cutbacks at the Canadian plants of automakers such as General Motors (GM) as well as the general manufacturing slump. The province has always bounced back. But the dynamism of Alberta could eventually threaten the primacy of Ontario.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who represents part of the Alberta city of Calgary in Parliament, foresees C$650 billion going to Canadian natural resource projects over the next decade. One would be a 731-mile pipeline to ship Alberta’s oil to the Pacific coast, where tankers can take it to Asia. With China as a customer, Alberta could be Canada’s hot spot for years.

[meme405]

Originally Posted by godwin

Alberta's Economy Sizzles. The Rest of Canada's Fizzles
By Greg Quinn July 31, 2014

In Canada’s economy there’s Alberta, then there’s everywhere else. The oil- and gas-rich western province added 81,800 jobs over the last 12 months, while the rest of Canada lost 9,500. Canada’s jobless rate is 7.1 percent, Alberta’s 4.9 percent. Alberta’s trade surplus, C$7.4 billion ($6.8 billion) in May, almost matched the trade deficit rung up by all the other provinces. Growth in gross domestic product for Alberta, forecast at 3.5 percent this year, beats projected growth for the rest. The province is drawing thousands of young people, most in search of energy jobs that pay in the six figures. It has been “effectively the lone driver” of recent housing starts in Canada, the Bank of Montreal (BMO) estimates. Alberta’s per capita gross domestic product will reach C$88,000 next year, C$35,000 more than the rest of Canada, Toronto-Dominion Bank (TD) economists predict.

The rise of Alberta poses a challenge to policymakers. Oil wealth has strengthened the Canadian dollar, battering exports by Ontario and Quebec, the two provinces traditionally at the center of the nation’s economy. Canada’s central bank is keeping interest rates near historic lows, helping to weaken the currency. The policy has boosted local demand, but the Canadian dollar is still strong enough to blunt industrial exports. Alberta oil producers are selling heavy oil derived from tar sands at $78 a barrel. Almost all their customers are in the U.S., where local per-barrel prices range from $90 to $106.

“We see a two-track economy,” Bank of Canada Governor Stephen Poloz told reporters on July 16 after he extended the longest pause in interest rate hikes since the 1950s. Canada’s non-energy exports have disappointed, he said, while energy exports have been strong. “Right now we don’t have a sustainable growth picture in Canada,” said Poloz.

The two-tier model threatens a decades-old federal policy to make manufacturing the heart of Canada’s economy. A 1965 pact established a single U.S.-Canada market for autos, and a 1988 free-trade agreement to wipe out tariffs on goods traded by the two nations was later expanded to include Mexico. Now Ontario, long the most populous province, has been hurt by cutbacks at the Canadian plants of automakers such as General Motors (GM) as well as the general manufacturing slump. The province has always bounced back. But the dynamism of Alberta could eventually threaten the primacy of Ontario.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who represents part of the Alberta city of Calgary in Parliament, foresees C$650 billion going to Canadian natural resource projects over the next decade. One would be a 731-mile pipeline to ship Alberta’s oil to the Pacific coast, where tankers can take it to Asia. With China as a customer, Alberta could be Canada’s hot spot for years.

Good article, really portrays the disparity between the west and the east of Canada.

The growing gap between Alberta & BC vs. the eastern provinces has already created a major rift. People out here are starting to realize it's bullshit how much we rape and pillage our provinces and the money just flows eastward.

Ontario and Quebec are like boat anchors, should have let those frenchies separate a long time ago.

[godwin]

I think Ab has been affecting BC especially in real estate more than people realise. Most of my neighbors in the town home complex in Coal Harbor are from Ab.. just weekend / holiday use for their kids and wives (and ex-wives). The fact that this users on this board doesn't seem to realise (I wager because most are young), is once you are on the property market for a while, getting additional mortgages to expand your portfolio is dead easy in this low interest environment (provide you structure your mortgage correctly, ie no 20+ year mortgages etc). All the talk about restricting foreigners buying local property is bunk, because freedom of movement is a right for Canadians within Canada. In the end you will restrict flashy foreigners but the price won't go down, because the real out of towners buying are Canadians.

Now at my other places in BC, I noticed the neighbors who can afford to buy houses are all tradespeople who commute to work to Ab and leaving family behind during the week (not all are in oil fields but supporting things like metal work, remediation etc etc).

I would say divorce (where 1 household becomes 2 or more) and Ab's resource wealth are primarily drivers for the real estate boom in BC.. it is not just in Vancouver, but Nelson, Kelowna (not to mention Revelstoke ski properties etc).

So for people on this board who would like to own property in BC and have liberal arts degrees, but not good with economics / math.. I would suggest moving East to Ab to try your luck on the oil fields to get dirty.

Originally Posted by meme405

Good article, really portrays the disparity between the west and the east of Canada.

The growing gap between Alberta & BC vs. the eastern provinces has already created a major rift. People out here are starting to realize it's bullshit how much we rape and pillage our provinces and the money just flows eastward.

Ontario and Quebec are like boat anchors, should have let those frenchies separate a long time ago.

[jasonturbo]

I'm currently working on large project that runs from Sarnia to Montreal. I spend on average about 10 days a month touring the sites and sitting in meetings.This time has allowed me to form some fairly distint opinions on Ontario/Quebec.

I really don't know how to explain it, but people out east are simply different, the culture and mentality as it relates to work is just totally warped.

My experience working with union contractors in western Canada has been great, not perfect, but very good. My experience with union contractors in eastern canada has provided me with some explanation as to why people trash unions so hard. The unions in easteren Canada represent all that is wrong with unionization. Please note that I am trashing the unions as organizations, many of the workers are very good people with a reasonable work ethic and knowledge base etc.

Listen to some of the stories from the UAW guys that aren't full of shit, GM = Generous Motors, the compensation and benefits these people get is crazy.. what they used to get is completely retarded.

Spend some time in both of those provinces and you will understand why they are broke, just imagine in Quebec they force everyone to take a two week "construction holiday" in the middle of summer :s You have to get special permits if you want to, or have to work during that period. The tax incentives to have children are crazy, good idea, reward the socialists for producing more socialists... so the rest of Canada can suffer financially.

Screw you Ontario and Quebec. The two provinces, especially Ontario, are suffering from the same problems that plague Michigan, their mfg industry was only succesful because of the lack of competition. Globalization has crushed these mfg businesses, most of the companies lacked the forsight and effort to actually plan long term and adjust their business as needed to stay competitive.

People in Ontario are so happy to bitch about external variables they can't control instead of doing something about their own lives. Yeah sure Alberta is part of Canada and maybe the Federal govt. can do something to twist and level the playing field, but that does nothing to solve their problems in a global scheme. Bringing the dollar down by .10-.15 would just prolong their financial death IMO.

Meh, liberals and socialist, this is why I am a conservative capialist. I like having the power to decide my own financial fate.

[godwin]

I think it is impractical to have a nihilist view that all Ontario/Que manufacturing jobs will be all gone. It takes time to transition, it takes more time to get union culture out of the system. Lower dollar gives manufacturer the breathing room to wait out some of the union people to retire and automate. In fact I would say automation the last few years have gain back some manufacturing jobs back to Canada.

in the end, Ontario is still using vast majority of the hydocarbon feedstock eg PET and all types of plastics for manufacturing (fiber mills). Quebec will always have cheap hydro.. large companies like General Dynamics etc are still building stuff out there that use steel. Like it or not there is no manufacturing jobs at that scale West of Ontario. Heck most of my engineering suppliers (bearings, metal etc) are either from down south or out in Ontario.

I don't think that will change within anyone's lifetime on this board.

Originally Posted by jasonturbo

what they used to get is completely retarded.

most of the companies lacked the forsight and effort to actually plan long term and adjust their business as needed to stay competitive.

[meme405]

Originally Posted by godwin

I think Ab has been affecting BC especially in real estate more than people realise. Most of my neighbors in the town home complex in Coal Harbor are from Ab.. just weekend / holiday use for their kids and wives (and ex-wives). The fact that this users on this board doesn't seem to realise (I wager because most are young), is once you are on the property market for a while, getting additional mortgages to expand your portfolio is dead easy in this low interest environment (provide you structure your mortgage correctly, ie no 20+ year mortgages etc). All the talk about restricting foreigners buying local property is bunk, because freedom of movement is a right for Canadians within Canada. In the end you will restrict flashy foreigners but the price won't go down, because the real out of towners buying are Canadians.

Now at my other places in BC, I noticed the neighbors who can afford to buy houses are all tradespeople who commute to work to Ab and leaving family behind during the week (not all are in oil fields but supporting things like metal work, remediation etc etc).

I would say divorce (where 1 household becomes 2 or more) and Ab's resource wealth are primarily drivers for the real estate boom in BC.. it is not just in Vancouver, but Nelson, Kelowna (not to mention Revelstoke ski properties etc).

So for people on this board who would like to own property in BC and have liberal arts degrees, but not good with economics / math.. I would suggest moving East to Ab to try your luck on the oil fields to get dirty.

Yup sad for those who hedged their bets on the wrong industries...

[scoobyej20]

hey guys I'm up in Fort Mac now..

suppose to take Electrical Pre-Employment in Sept at Keyano.. but might change my plan.


I have OSSA Fall Protection, Confined Space Entry/Monitor, Regional Orientation Program and CSTS.

any help of getting a decent job in the oil field would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

[DC5-S]

Originally Posted by scoobyej20

hey guys I'm up in Fort Mac now..

suppose to take Electrical Pre-Employment in Sept at Keyano.. but might change my plan.


I have OSSA Fall Protection, Confined Space Entry/Monitor, Regional Orientation Program and CSTS.

any help of getting a decent job in the oil field would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

Where is your H2S alive and SFA CPR C

[koukimonst3r]

Originally Posted by DC5-S

Where is your H2S alive and SFA CPR C

Usually the employers would train the employees to get their H2S Alive and SFA. You'd need Gas Monitor training too since you've got Confined space.

[scoobyej20]

Thanks I'll get them done sometime this week.

Also just wondering if the Power Engineering online course is worth taking as it doesn't come with the firing time.

gonna try to get 4th class PE done after school if it's not too intensive.

Originally Posted by DC5-S

Where is your H2S alive and SFA CPR C

[Jmac]

Originally Posted by scoobyej20

Thanks I'll get them done sometime this week.

Also just wondering if the Power Engineering online course is worth taking as it doesn't come with the firing time.

gonna try to get 4th class PE done after school if it's not too intensive.

It's worth getting if you can find a place willing to give you firing time after you pass your A test.

I ended up taking a course at VIU because I couldn't get firing time on my own (was promised I could when I started the online course, then the company backed out).

The A test is pretty easy. Need 98/150 to pass and there are 30 middle-school/high-school math questions to start (should easily get at least 25 out of 30 on those if you graduated from high school; I got 30/30) plus you have about 20 questions you can answer straight out of your code book. Basically means you only need to get 53/100 on the rest of the test.

B test is tougher as there's more memorization involved (though most of the refrigeration section can be lifted from your code book) and not much math. If you get good experience as you get your firing time, most of the questions should be easy to answer, though.

If you need any study materials, I have a bunch of PDFs I can send you.

[DC5-S]

Honestly, I wouldn't bother with power engineering at this day and age. It's just too hard to find a job these days for people fresh out of school. Every company is looking for experienced people, and not giving anyone fresh out of school a chance. (I know many people that are having a tough time)

But if your adamant on power engineering, then i'd recommend taking the course at keyano or lac la biche as they have a co-op program. You'll be working at an oil company for a portion of your course.

[meme405]

Originally Posted by DC5-S

It's just too hard to find a job these days for people fresh out of school. Every company is looking for experienced people, and not giving anyone fresh out of school a chance.

This could be said for literally anyone in any field getting a post secondary education. Employers will obviously always prefer someone with experience, but at some point a long the line they have to hire the next generation of people who will run the company or perform the work. Employers know this so they usually look for responsible, mature young people, with the right education and skill set and train them to become what they need.

Get an education in whatever interests you, if power engineering is what you want to do/become, or what you are interested in, I see no reason to switch away from that just because of a slight potential of having difficulty finding a job.

It's not like power engineering is a profession or skill that is going to die off. We will always need power engineers.

[Mining]

It does help a great amount if you are coming from a more prestigious school. Do your co-op terms and get your foot into the industry is my advice.

[Timpo]

For highest salary increases in Canada, look to the oilpatch: Mercer survey

For highest salary increases in Canada, look to the oilpatch: Mercer survey

By Lauren Krugel, The Canadian Press August 18, 2014

CALGARY - For the biggest pay hikes in Canada, look no further than the oilpatch.

The energy sector continues to lead the country in both actual and projected salary increases, according to survey released Monday by global consulting firm Mercer.

The average base salary increase across the country is expected to be three per cent next year, the same as in 2014.
But in the energy sector, the pay bump is forecast at 3.7 per cent in 2015 after an actual 3.9 per cent increase this year.
Mercer has conducted its Canada Compensation Planning Survey for more than two decades, compiling responses from nearly 700 organizations across Canada.

For the past five years, the trends have been stable both at a national level and amongst different industries, Mercer's Allison Griffiths said in an interview.

"Companies just, in general, are feeling more stable and more confident about their outlooks," she said.
When the energy sector is removed from the mix, the national average projected salary increase drops to 2.9 per cent. That effect is more pronounced in energy-rich Alberta and Saskatchewan.

On the other end of the spectrum, the transportation, equipment, consumer goods and retail/wholesale industries are expected to see the smallest salary increases at around 2.6 or 2.7 per cent.

"All different factors come into play here when we're talking about salary increases. It's the economy... or who are the big companies within the region and what are they doing? Cost of living comes into it, competition for labour," said Griffiths.

"Retail in general is typically one of the industries that their profits and their margins are very tight, so they're typically very conservative with their salary increases."

While base salary is an important component in attracting and retaining talent, it's important to make sure employees understand in other ways that they're valued, she said.

"Unless you have good communication and you're really able to explain things to employees in a meaningful way, things get lost in translation and the engagement aspect of it can get diminished," she said.

"It's actually about how it's delivered and thanking your employees for their hard work and things like that."

Another important aspect is making sure employees are aware of opportunities for advancement within their organization. With the economic outlook stabilizing, companies are becoming more focused on putting so-called "career frameworks" in place.

Demographics also has a lot to do with it, said Griffiths.

"The younger generation definitely wants to know more and wants more transparency around their career potential."

[GabAlmighty]

Those rigs pigs are waaaaaaaay too clean... I can still see their skin.

[Doubl3_H]

Anyone here up at the Agrium site?
Going up there next month, need a place to stay

[DontFrontOnMe]

Originally Posted by DragonChi

I think it's the workplace equality thing too. In some fields, being a woman is enough to get hired.

Well, I think we just found Timpo his "in".

[AutozamAZ-3]

Is working overtime an expectation when working on the oil sands?

[jasonturbo]

Originally Posted by AutozamAZ-3

Is working overtime an expectation when working on the oil sands?

Well that depends on how you define the word "working".

If you're idea of work includes any application of thought or physical effort... No.

If you're idea of work includes sleeping in a truck, browsing Instagram on your phone, or sitting on a bucket... Yes.

Srs, everyone works 10-14 hour days between the actual "work" and travel to and from site. You will rarely ever be "exhausted" after a day or work because things tend to take place at a very slow pace.

[meme405]

Originally Posted by jasonturbo

Well that depends on how you define the word "working".

If you're idea of work includes any application of thought or physical effort... No.

If you're idea of work includes sleeping in a truck, browsing Instagram on your phone, or sitting on a bucket... Yes.

Srs, everyone works 10-14 hour days between the actual "work" and travel to and from site. You will rarely ever be "exhausted" after a day or work because things tend to take place at a very slow pace.

Lol.

When I first started working in the sands and up north, I was on a 3 & 1, 12 hour days.

My boss always used to tell me out of those 12 hours he expects 7 hours of honest effort.

[Purely]

Does anyone know or have experience with the Co-op Accounting/Finance jobs with the major oil and gas companies in Calgary?

[GabAlmighty]

Originally Posted by AutozamAZ-3

Is working overtime an expectation when working on the oil sands?

If you want to make any money, then yes.