Canadian PR

[silica]

Hi googleplexes, I am still single and am really afraid of getting married and having kids in a country which function like a pressure-cooker.

I would like to direct some questions to people who are familiar with the oil and gas and possibly related industries too. Maybe nayr69sg can help or some other experts.

I am trained in IT and currently working in my family-owned small transport firm. Lost touch with IT nearly 4 years ago. I would like to learn a trade and get my hands dirty, something linked to IT maybe Instrumentation or Geomatics yet at the same time able to have a job to provide me with 3 meals a day and a roof over my head. At the age of 35 (intended age of entry for study), am I too old to learn a trade? By the time I graduate from any trade, I would be 37 and I am not sure employers would consider an apprentice that old.

Anyone familiar with Alberta or Saskatchewan's jobs outlook, could you recommend any job, careers or trades that would be where the money is. I would like to read up all of them and make a choice. Many thanks.

starstar, i am looking at applying 2 yr dip course in geomatics at NAIT. if successful, I'll be 39 when i graduate.

 

[nayr69sg]

starstar, i am looking at applying 2 yr dip course in geomatics at NAIT. if successful, I'll be 39 when i graduate.

Hi silica,

In my line of work, I communicate with surveyors on the survey and sketch plans for oil projects. Sometimes we get a LIDAR to start off with. My job is to read the plans, and identify the relevant land issues, eg search for landowners, impacted parties, identify third party crossings and request for consents etc.

It would be very good if you can afford to take 2 years off just to study. The problem is that most of these courses are full time.

Having said that, in the industry I gather that experience is what really counts.

 

[googleplexes]

Getting a paper is a start. The rest is up to you.

 

[starstar]

starstar, i am looking at applying 2 yr dip course in geomatics at NAIT. if successful, I'll be 39 when i graduate.

Hi Silica, I am going into something similar as yours but in Saskatchewan, most probably SAIST.

 

[googleplexes]

Studying first in Canada is a good start. Why? You will get adapted to the Canadian lifestyle. You will either like it or hate it. Within the 2 years, you(family) can decide to stay or return. At least you return with a qualification and try to get back into the Singapore employment or for your knowledge improvement.

The kids will love it. That is a good enough motivating factor.

 

[silica]

Hi silica,

In my line of work, I communicate with surveyors on the survey and sketch plans for oil projects. Sometimes we get a LIDAR to start off with. My job is to read the plans, and identify the relevant land issues, eg search for landowners, impacted parties, identify third party crossings and request for consents etc.

It would be very good if you can afford to take 2 years off just to study. The problem is that most of these courses are full time.

Having said that, in the industry I gather that experience is what really counts.

yup! that's what i intend to do. Unplug myself and family from Singapore to study full time for 2 years. Living on savings for 2 to 3 years. Until eventually getting a proper job and settling for good in Canada.

This route is too drastic and unsettling for many Singaporean to take, especially if you are the sole breadwinner and have kid in tow.

 

[starstar]

Studying first in Canada is a good start. Why? You will get adapted to the Canadian lifestyle. You will either like it or hate it. Within the 2 years, you(family) can decide to stay or return. At least you return with a qualification and try to get back into the Singapore employment or for your knowledge improvement.

The kids will love it. That is a good enough motivating factor.

Hi googleplexes, have you went to Canada before you embark on your studies?

 

[googleplexes]

Yes. Toronto and Quebec. Took me 2 weeks and I jumped in.

Explored the west coast, and I like it there. Not the housing prices though.

 

[googleplexes]

starstar, Saskatchewan eh? Corner Gas. Google Corner Gas. Enjoyed the show.

Leave you with this. Sawry.

 

[googleplexes]

Get here and you will know the following after a while.

1. A double double for your coffee at Tims
2. Canadian music, Bryan Adams, Nickleback, Avril Lavigne, Celine Dion, Alanis Morissette, Michael Buble etc
3. Pizza Pizza
4. Maple syrup
5. Ice Hockey
6. Shoveling snow experts or Snow blower
7. In the west coast to central, REAL CAMPING. East coasters a bunch of lazy asses.
8. You means that is a lake and not the sea? HOMES (Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, Superior)
9. What is Anglophone and Francophone?
10. Really cold water from the tap

 

[starstar]

Hi there, I asked a faculty member on the average wages paid by a company to a co-op student and he told me on average 17-30/hour, is there a catch? 17/hour is around 2.7k per month and it's the same as what a university graduate is getting here.

 

[nayr69sg]

Hi there, I asked a faculty member on the average wages paid by a company to a co-op student and he told me on average 17-30/hour, is there a catch? 17/hour is around 2.7k per month and it's the same as what a university graduate is getting here.

Taxes. After tax it is around $2k take home a month at $17/hr.

Not sure how much your increase in salary goes though. $1/hr increase a year is quite common?

 

[Hock]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/story/2012/06/12/calgary-global-petroleum-show.html
http://www.calgarysun.com/2012/06/10/oil-in-a-days-work-at-calgarys-global-petroleum-show

Many attendees flew in or drove for miles from the US for the Global Petroleum Show. And, some landed high-paying jobs
in the oil and gas industry. I know someone who works as a welding inspector earning C$1,400 per day. Many
oil and gas related courses at SAIT(Calgary) and NAIT(Edmonton). Don't hesitate anymore, big bucks and Canadian PR are
waiting for you.

www.sait.ca
www.nait.ca

 

[googleplexes]

Over 2 years, the investments have been $200B CAD

 

[nayr69sg]

Over 2 years, the investments have been $200B CAD

Hey googleplexes, are you in Alberta?

 

[googleplexes]

Hey googleplexes, are you in Alberta?

I am in Toronto.

 

[nayr69sg]

I kind of remembered that you weren't here in Alberta. So how come everyone is talking so much about oil & gas which is mainly in Alberta when they are not in Alberta?

What is in Toronto?

I know Hock is in Calgary.

Starstar hasn't come to Canada right? Beaver is in Vancouver.

 

[googleplexes]

yup! that's what i intend to do. Unplug myself and family from Singapore to study full time for 2 years. Living on savings for 2 to 3 years. Until eventually getting a proper job and settling for good in Canada.

This route is too drastic and unsettling for many Singaporean to take, especially if you are the sole breadwinner and have kid in tow.

IMO, still the least risk. It is not drastic. Getting PR and moving everyone to an unknown is more risk.

Some never took the plunge even after obtaining PR.

 

[googleplexes]

I kind of remembered that you weren't here in Alberta. So how come everyone is talking so much about oil & gas which is mainly in Alberta when they are not in Alberta?

What is in Toronto?

I know Hock is in Calgary.

Starstar hasn't come to Canada right? Beaver is in Vancouver.

All in the news. Even this for BC. It was in the news on Friday. http://business.financialpost.com/2...assive-shale-gas-field-in-b-c/?__lsa=d15495aa

Toronto mostly business and financial services. The IT sector is still ok here. After this stint of 1 year, I will move towards BC. East BC.

 

[nayr69sg]

IMO, still the least risk. It is not drastic. Getting PR and moving everyone to an unknown is more risk.

Some never took the plunge even after obtaining PR.

It depends how you plan for the move. Everyone has their own unique circumstances. I would say that many high fliers would never migrate. Too much invested in Singapore and their Singapore careers. They might retire young and move abroad.

There are also those lucky ones who get a job with an MNC and get internal transfers. I know an accountant who worked for an MNC and when she told the boss that she was migrating to Canada, they transferred her to the Canada branch. Another accountant also had the same done for him. That's actually the best.

Either way you still need to pay some price. Either have enough savings to support everything and keep family together, or if wife is working, then split.

Speaking of wives.....the spouse is very important also. Sometimes one party doesn't have so much invested but the other does. And you get the situation that one is willing to sacrifice but the other is not. Tough.

I remember meeting a single guy teacher who got his PR but never decided to move. You are correct that many get their PRs but never take the plunge.