sananddave

Hi - Just touching base to see if anyone out there went out last year to work for Calgary Transit following their recruitment drive over here. My Husband was offered a drivers job to start last March, however we turned the offer down due the recession just starting to kick in as at that time we both had okish jobs here and were airing on the side of caution.
It would be great to hear from anyone who did go, and to find out how it all panned out, as we met some great people during the recruitment process and the staff from CT were great.
Do we have regrets? Sometimes we think - if only- but at the time the gut instint was to stay put.

Take Care and for those who did go we hope all your dreams came true.

Sandra

thebakers4

Hi San & Dave,

A blast from the past there! I made the move and started training in March with the 1st group to arrive.

The training was very good but due to the down turn we didn't move up the seniority list as they stopped hiring behind us so as at December were still getting the really crappy shifts - NOT transits fault but as we'd planned life around what we were told in London it made it more difficult.

Due to being here on my own with 2 children (hubby continued to work in UK as we couldn't afford to lose his income) I quit the end of November. I found it very difficult doing the split shifts (a usual shift was 3pm until about 6-7pm and then out again 9-10pm through until between 1-2am), I never saw my kids and they began to suffer.

There is still a big hold up with the provincial nominee for Alberta and nothing has been agreed - most people have a year left on their visas now so its getting abit serious now as it'll take about a year for the AINP to process.

We had a few trips to a ski resort 3 hours out of Calgary - Fernie in BC and fell in love with it so when I quit we moved there on the hope I'd find another job - am allowed to stay in the country until my TWP runs out in Jan 2012, but have just yesterday had some good news, been offered a category B job in a hotel and they are filling in the BC Provincial Nominee forms as I type so we should get PR in 6-8 months and I can start work in approx 3 weeks time or as soon as the BC PNP is approved.

Am glad we moved and I think its been harder than we initially thought it might have been (the whole group) but worth it for sure. I wasn't sure whether to stick it out with Transit but am glad we moved as my sons are so much happier and the job I'll be doing will be 9-5 so I wont lose out on bed times, homework, feeding and spending time with them.

Hope you are both good
Jan
x

sananddave

Hi Jan- it was fantastic to see your reply and am so pleased that although it has been a bit of a rocky road for you things seem to be working out now.
Do you know what happened to any of the others? There was quite a few that we were in touch with throughout the recruitment process then we lost touch as the start date approached ,as we had moved to Scotland by then and were so busy setting up home there.
We are now back in the North East and although we have had some health problems between us, we are fine now thanks.

Take Care
Sandra x

louise033

http://www.welcomebc.ca/en/immigrati....html#eligible

Don't you have to have worked for your employer for a minimum of 9 consecutive months before applying for BC PNP - as per link above?

thebakers4

Only have to work for employer for 9 months for BC PNP if it is a job on the Low Skilled list, but the job I have is Category B Skilled so you can apply directly

Jan

Coznrich

Hi Sandra

Cori here. Rich and I came out with my two boys just after Jan last year and have settled in really well.

I guess it has been easier for us compared to Jan because whereas her hubby had to continue working abroad, Rich and I have had each other to rely on. When the shifts were really shitty, because my boys are older, I was able to leave them on their own while I was taxi to Richard, so he has an easier time being driven around by me.

I am STILL not working - cos of the recession its been impossible so far to get my own work permit. I have been offered a job with a good firm and they have had to apply for their own Labour Market Opinion number like Transit did with the UK drivers so just waiting to hear if that has been successful. I have been keeping myself busy by volunteering at school which has been very enjoyable.

Calgary is a really interesting place (in a good way). There is so much to do here and the mountains and beautiful lakes are less than an hour away. So much stuff geared for the outdoors and during the summer there was always some event or another on. There is also so much for the kids to do too and it doesnt usually work out that expensive. For such a big city, it feels quite close-knit in a strange kind of way.

Like Jan said, we (ie our family) have no regrets whatsoever in moving here - wouldnt change it for the world. I think from our own experience, I might have wanted to have brought over a bit more cash.

Dave and Stephen at CT are doing their utmost to allow us all to stay and get our PR but like Jan says, there has been some stumbling blocks and we still dont know anything for definite yet, but we keep hopeful.

Personally, we are just enjoying every day as we live it - I mean you just never know what is around the corner anyway, so why fret about something that may or may not happen eh? At best, we get to stay and live in this beautiful country and at worst we have had a brilliant experience that none of us will ever forget.

Working for Calgary Transit itself, well, we think the pay is good and the benefits are brilliant so when you look at the whole picture, its a great job - if you can put up with the random hours you get at first. Rich is starting to get some good shifts now but still has odd hours on occasion which may not suit all but we dont mind too much.

If I had to offer any advice to anyone I would say maybe get some sort of qualification and a year or so work experience in a job on the skilled worker class list because that might open a few more doors and might (only might) make things a bit easier. Def bring alot of money with you - a few thousand more than you think you will need because things dont always go to plan and you might just need to get the car fixed, etc.

I sent you an email to your private email address, the one Dave corresponded with you back in 2008 - is it still the same one? So if you want to know anymore but didnt want to put it on here, just email us OK. We will answer anything you want to know.

Glad to hear that you got over your health worries. Hope to hear from you soon.

Bye for now

Cori

Getting There

Welcome to the forum Cori - great first post.

Eamonn & Janet.

Oink

Personally, given your situation, that gut feeling was well served. I'd suggest going on a nice ling holiday to Spain or even Tunisia. Emigrating only seems to make sense if your life is completely shit in the UK so you've nothing to lose or you're going to get a fabulously better paid job over here.

DigitalGhost

I thought this thread was going to be about a Ford van.