Pompeygirl

Hey,
I am new on here, but have lived in Cochrane, Alta for 2 years now, and have some friends in the UK who would love to emigrate!
They are looking to find a recruitment consultant in Calgary that might be able to help set up interviews, the husband is a plumber with 19 years experience, as they want to try and get a work permit.
I have tried searching for Calgary recruitment consultants, but am faced with a HUGE list, and no idea where to start!
Does anyone have any recommendations, or even a company that specialises in finding employment for people from the UK?
Many thanks in advance
Pompeygirl

jericho

Hi
I wouldnt have thought recruitment companies would be used for trades like plumbing??

Pompeygirl

Well I dont see why not?
Ok, maybe they are called employment agencies or something like that?
There must be agencies out there who recruit skilled workers for companies looking to hire?

Judy in Calgary

I've just searched the Job Bank website, and I found 15 vacancies for plumbers in the Calgary area.

Also try:

Monster
Workopolis
Job Openings
Career Builder
Alberta Construction Jobs

Look here for Canadian newspaper help wanted ads.

Read the Wiki article called Finding Job Opportunities and, indeed, all the Wiki articles in the series on Job Hunting in Canada.

I went to the Canadian Company Capabilities (CCC) website, to which there is a link in the Finding Job Opportunities Wiki article. On the CCC website I did a search for construction in Alberta. From the results of that search, I found the website of the Calgary Construction Association. It lists dozens of member companies.

Scan the list for company names that sound promising, and phone half a dozen of them. Ask the people with whom you speak on the phone to give you names of companies that would be useful to your friend.

Also ask them if they know of recruitment agencies that specialize in the skilled trades in general or in the construction trades in particular.

ipevo

Worth reading this re job consultants etc

Steve&Tanya

Hiya

I am registered with Mark Staffing Solutions. They specialise in office assignments but I know they deal with people who are over on open work permits, not sure if they may be able to help GET a work permit but worth a try.

HTH

Judy in Calgary

I went to the website of Calgary Construction Associated (see post #4), looked at the list of member companies, and phoned three of them at random. I told them that I lived in Calgary and was making enquiries on behalf of a plumber who wanted to move from the UK to Calgary. I asked them how they had found the plumbers who currently worked for them. Here are the results of my conversations:

Company #1 (had Plumbing in its name)

The woman who answered the phone said that they didn't recruit for plumbers. They were approached by plumbers who had heard of their company and who applied to them for jobs.

Company #2 (had Construction in its name)

The woman who answered the phone said that they sub-contracted work out to different trades. They had a list of about 300 tradesmen. When the primary company (that is, Company #2) was awarded a project, it would put specific aspects of the job out to tender. The invitation to bid would be sent by phone or fax to the 300 tradesmen on the list. Tradesmen who were interested in working on the project would bid on it.

I asked the woman for clarification. I said it sounded as if they didn't have employees on their own books, but sub-contracted work to tradesmen who were independent contractors, working through their own small companies or working as sole proprietors. She said that was right. She said her company employed on its books only a few supervisors, site inspectors, etc., as well as two carpenters. Other than that, the company sub-contracted all of its work.

She said that, depending on the size of a specific job, a sub-contractor might be required to work on his own or he might be required to bring with him a work crew. She said that sub-contractors who were supposed to provide work crews were problematic. Because there is such a high turnover rate in the industry, a work crew of half a dozen men might evaporate overnight, and be reduced to only a couple of men. People just leave and go to someone who offers them more money.

Company #3 (had Construction in its name)

The man who answered the phone said that his company did excavation and road construction, and it built large buildings, such as high rises, schools, etc. He said he worked more on the excavation side of things. However, he worked closely with people who built buildings.

He said that most plumbers were specialized -- in home repairs, new home construction, large commercial construction, or whatever.

He said that he and all the people he worked with hired tradesmen through newspaper advertisements or were introduced to tradesmen by word of mouth.

I would have been able to get further with these conversations if I'd known more details about the plumber who wants to move from the UK to Canada. For example, the man from Company #3 asked me the area in which the plumber specialized, but I didn't know.

Hope that helps.

Postscript. I asked all three companies if they used agencies to find tradesmen, and they all said, "No." I realize my survey, which involved a grand total of three companies, cannot be regarded as scientific. But I think it does provide a tentative indication of how things work.

Pompeygirl

Wow Judy!
Thankyou so much for all that info, (and to the other guys who responded too) I cant believe you went to so much trouble, I really appreciate it and I know my friends will too!
Thanks again

bobbiel

This is the plumbers and pipefitters union
http://www.local496.ca/ good rates, pension ,health, dental plans
Talk to Arnie.