meanjock

Hi

Just wondeing if anybody in this forum works in construction.
I ve had a great offer as a Formwork Carpenter in Vancouver with a firm called PCL.I was hoping if anyone can give any advice on how the job is over there.

Sarahad

Hi, my husband is in a carpenter but we are in Alberta, so I am not sure if there is a difference between the provinces. What kind of things do you need to know?

meanjock

Hi just wondering if the jobs are run the same way as back home and how is he treated is it worth it money wise.I have also a offer from a firm in Calgary they are called Con-Fort

andrewrb143

PCL is one of the biggest if not the biggest contractors in Canada. Expect similar practices to the UK, but don't hold up much hope for safety on sites, I've left many an inspection in disbelief after seeing what seems a total lack of concern, especially with falls from heights.

But PCL seem a great employer, with a great benefits package. I havent heard of Con-Fort so i couldnt tell you.

It seems in a lot of the colder climates that a sizable number are "laid off" for the winter due to the inevitable slow down of construction. I'd make sure you have confirmation it is indeed a full time position all year round!

Best of Luck!

Andrew

Yoong

During the slow months, you could do some handyman work and earn
extra income. Print business cards ,get to know the staff at Home
Depot ,Rona and do networking .Renovations are happening all year round
here and tradeworkers are in demand.They just name their prices
and you either take it or leave it .
The ladies are taking trade courses to meet the demands.

Yoong

meanjock

Thanx I´ve also been offered a job in the Peg for Man-Shield but the cash was´nt up to much ,are you on th job to?

mels123

My husband's a carpenter too, he finds it more laid back here and they are not as concerned about wearing hard hats etc. He is on a similar pay scale to England and gets offered a lot of overtime, so is quite happy. You need to be offered Journeyman status for the top rates and having carpentry certificates was important for this, although I've heard others say work experience was enough for the Journeyman ticket.

I've seen the signs for PCL all over the place, so presume they must be a big contractor here.

Good luck with your research.

Mel

meanjock

Cheers

Sarahad

My husband has also said that he does not work as hard over here as he did in the UK, they are more laid back. Also in UK husband did every aspect of Joinery, you find over here that alot of them specialise in one thing, like finals or framing.
He is on the same kind of money he was in UK and again alot of overtime if wanted.
My husband works for a fire & flood restoration company and they always seem to be busy and plenty of work.
Goodluck - you will be in high demand if are a good carpenter as they seem to be hard to come by here!

DHammond

Hi, my husband is also a Carpenter and he came out on a work permit through a job offer. We are in Vancouver.
He is working for a company that he feels are taking advantage of the fact
that he is only on a temp work permit through them and they know unless he can get another company to apply for a work permit for him (and a lot of comapnies don't want the hassel) he has to stay with them.
He has been offered a few other jobs with much more money but they dont's want the paper work involved.
So he is binding his time and as soon as our PR comes through ( hopefuly by the end of the year) then he knows that he could earn twice as much as he is on now.
So l would say that some times you might not get the wage you want straight away but if the job gets you through the door (in Canada) it can be worth the chance.
Just a thought.

andrewrb143

I'm a strucural designer so I have to go to sites to do inspections. From what I've seen Man-shield are a pretty good firm.

The one things that stop me from wanting to be a site engineer is the vast regions the offices cover. You could be working in the city or way up north, and not get to go home for months (in winnipeg anyway). I know the Winnipeg region of PCL covers most of Manitoba and also most of North Western Ontario, which can be quite the commute if you don't want to stay in digs.

A lot of new work seems to be happening on the first nations reserves, which can be quite an experience, especailly the fly in only ones. More dogs than children, not to mention the friendly locals.

jad n rich

Meanjock - did u take the job? Any updates?

meanjock

Yes iam waiting for the workvisa commimg through hope to be in Vancouver end sept

andrewrb143

With PCL? Congratulations, sounds like a fantastic opportunity, good luck!