Young Brit Seeking Carpentry Work In Alberta

[bogullie21]

I complete a NVQ Level 2 in Carpentry/Joinery in March, just wondering if anyone knows of British builders/carpenters working in Alberta. I'd love to move there, just need to have a job offer or info. Thanks

[Auld Yin]

Originally Posted by bogullie21

I complete a NVQ Level 2 in Carpentry/Joinery in March, just wondering if anyone knows of British builders/carpenters working in Alberta. I'd love to move there, just need to have a job offer or info. Thanks

I hate to tell you that NVQ qualifications carry little to no weight here. Experience as a tradesman is what you'll need.

[thilld]

The job market in Alberta (and Saskatchewan - look up Estevan, SK for example) is very hot. Skilled trades are ESPECIALLY in demand, and carpenters are certainly among them.

It can be quite challenging to get permission to work in Canada, however the Alberta Occupation-Specific Pilot is open to carpenters, and you can get a 1 year work permit during which time you would need to become certified by the Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training program. Lots more info available at Citizenship and Immigration Canada, under "Working Temporarily in Canada." You would need a job offer, though, couldn't just jump off the plane and hope for the best.

From a quality of life perspective, Calgary and Edmonton are both very decent places to live for a young single guy, although winters are very cold and relatively miserable if you are coming from the UK. Both cities are very car-centric - you would not at all be able to expect to get by without a car OR a good friend network - so expect to have to get a car. Fort McMurray, the other Alberta hotspot, is a bit of a trial, even for the young and unattached - it is remote (5 hours drive to Edmonton) and suffers from typical boomtown conditions - expensive! However, it is a great place to make money if you can keep from spending it as fast as you earn it. I don't know Estevan in SK from personal experience, but it seems to be a bit of a mini-Ft. McMurray. Less remote (2.5 hours to Regina), but Regina is not widely known as being as fun as Calgary or Edmonton. Again, that is just my impression - I've lived in Calgary, Edmonton, Northern Alberta - never in southern SK so someone from there may have more info.

[bercol31]

Hi there,i seen your reply to the young lad from uk and if you dont mind id like to know some more about the canada work possibility.Im 36 and a carpenter but without papers,ive spent most of my life doing this,do you know or have you similar experience in getting recruited by having just the experience and not the qualifications.
Regards
An irish man