What is the ball park hourly rate for an apprentice served with 10 years experience 'chippie' to earn in Canada? All provinces please reply as a very good friend is thinking of making the move and as a youngish singleton doesn't have to worry about schools etc... Thanks

Ticketed Journeyman on site in Calgary usually earn $35 per hour...but every firm is different...Apprentice will start from about $15 per hour...Be prepared to work your B*lls off!!!

Yep, agreed with Frankies estimate.

Loads of work here at the moment. Was talking with 2 different construction workers over the last few days who both told me the same thing:

"too much work, not enough workers"

I presume BC pays more but then like everything it's all relative to the cost of living. Maybe someone else can confirm but I would expect Vancouver to have a huge load of work soon with the Olympics.

Thanks everyone, I'll pass the info on - also what are the working hours per day for a chippie...friend works 8.00am until 4.30pm here - but then has an 90 minute commute each way also.

I know many Canadien construction workers........as a whole they are the hardest working guys in the buisness

There's a lot of house building going on around here. They kick off at 7.00, on the dot.

There's been a lot of house construction this summer in our area too .... they start at 7am and work through til 7pm often 6-7 days a week. I guess its taking advantage of good weather as well as having more work than they can handle. (Guy interviewed on local TV on Fri night was lamenting that he needed more workers so I guess its pretty universal across Canada.)

If you friend only wants to work 8-4.30 then I think he'll be in for a shock!

Thanks again - the 8 - 4.30 is a pain actually. He only gets paid for the hours he works. He usually gets to work at 7 to get ahead of the traffic - but doesn't get paid until 8 and if leaves at 4.30 and sits in traffic for 90 mins - whereas if he stayed and worked until 6.30 -7ish he'd be behind most of it -l but as most of the work is in a residental area the work is prohibited to continue into what is deemed as 'unsociable' hours (in this particular area after 4.30pm) for the sake of local residents.
He's often said he would mind working late and getting paid rather than sitting in traffic eating exhaust fumes. I'll pass on the info but think he will be keen to start looking for work and then a work permit.

I think it depends on who you are working for...for instance i work from 0630 until 15:45 except on a Friday when I finish at 15:00...and there are a couple of carpenters who do the same similar hours....I think the labour law in Alberta is a 44 1/2 week. the rest is overtime.

My husband is a kitchen and Bathroom fitter now but previously worked for Fords building prototype cars, we were told at the recent expo at Sandown that he would have to have qualification in carpentry to get work in calgary in this field, he has a lots of qualification but they are in manufacturing and engineering when you have been working for 20 years your career can take twists and turns as his has but it has all steamed from using machinery fixing and making things with precision. He is very clever and in great demand here due to a great reputation it seams crazy to me that if they are in need of more people like him why they insist on peaces of paper when he could easily show them how good he is doing a trail.

We are hoping to get there soon on a recky trip and hoping that we can find people that would be willing to employ him. What do you think our chances are?

Cheers all!

Don't know where you are off to...But they are crying out for trades people here in Calgary...Qualifications are one thing, and if you need to challenge the journeyman exam then thats fine...But if you have experience and can do the Job...thats what most employers are looking for....It's really difficult to find a reliable person here.

Thanks!

I have now booked the flights and we will be in calgary on the 29th of October for 1 week. Your words have given me great encouragement, my hubby is a perfectionist, not a quality you find too much where we live, only lots of cowboys charging a lot of money for shoddy work.

With regard to the journeyman exam can anyone take it or is there entry requirements? and how much does it cost?

Thanks.

With regards to the journeyman exam.... You have to have proof that you have been employed in the trade for X amount of hours...have a look at Alberta Trade and industry site... The exam is roughly about $400...and needs to be booked...not sure if you have to prove your status (PR)...but the best thing to do is look on the site and find what you are after and give them a tinkle.