Alberta = Jobsville

[Tron_fdc]

Originally posted by Vulcan+Sep 23 2004, 12:57 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Vulcan @ Sep 23 2004, 12:57 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>

Unskilled labour aside, I'm sure there are plenty of disgruntled welders in Pakistan that would love the opportunity to come over here and work, even if it was on a temp basis. I'm thinking this idea would apply to more than just Joe wrench slinger.

There's gotta be a few pipefitters and machinists in Iraq kicking around somewhere.... maybe Lanny knows where they are!!

As a tradesman I'm pretty insulted by your attitude. I am sure there are plenty of digruntled office clerks in Pakistan who would be happy to come over here and do your work also. In my lone experience of working at Syncrude we had tradesmen come in from across Canada and the United States. The unions are international and yes they are very active with contractors and goverment[schools such as Sait and Nait] in training and upgrading. Oil sands contractors require special tests and certification above a regular tradesman ticket in order to work there, so I don't think they want to hire SE Asian farmers to do my job. [/b][/quote]
Where in my post did I say an Asian farmer qualifies as a skilled tradesman? Maybe you should re-read the thread, my friend.

I'm simply pointing out that there is a fairly good chance that there are skilled tradesmen in foreign countries more than willing to come to a country with a skilled labour shortage.

[Vulcan]

Originally posted by plett22@Sep 22 2004, 08:58 AM
Alberta (Canada, really) should look at bringing in labour from overseas on a temp basis. You can get workers for half the price, and when the shortage is solved send 'em home.

I've been through Asia and this is quite common. In Korea, if you have menial, low paying work for someone, you can get a license to bring in workers from India. It's pretty popular, and according to the government a win win for both sides. The import workers make money and gather skills that would never be available to them in their home country, and the employer has access to an unlimited labour supply (as well as saves money by paying lower wages).

You may get workers for half the price but poorly trained workers probably have only one quarter the production. Then you refer to menial low paying work which since we are discussing trades people for Fort Mac. I took to be your attitude to tradesmen. Bringing in a few untrained workers to begin an apprentiship is always a good idea, but they have to work under the guidance of a tradesman. Construction work can be very dangerous, especially for the untrained and companies have no wish to see their Workers compensation rates go up.

[Maritime Q-Scout]

Seriously, if there are any oil execs reading this, here's an idea that'd help you out I'm willing to give away for free, as well it'd help my fellow people (ie: Cape Bretoners)

Go to Sydney, Glace Bay, New Waterford, and North Sydney put on a information fair about what work out in Alberta is all about. Show them how lucriditive it can be for the laid off steelworkers, and coal miners, and you'd get them taking a serious look at it.

If it's a temp position you need, most of them are in thier 40's (those who didn't meet the pension requirement) so they'd be there 5-10 years to finish off their working years, and then move back home (or possibly stay).

I know that Cape Bretoners have a bad reputation for being lazy, as they always want government handouts (mind you same thing out west is given the rhetoric of being a subsidy) but no one ever realizes that it's because they want the subsidy so they could mill steel, or mine coal (coal mining isn't really a lazy occupation) so you will get a hard working labour force that's willing to put in the time to get the job done right (as being a coal miner you get it wrong the roof falls in).

Just a thought, unemployment there is VERY high, and people don't really understand what "Out West" is all about. I know that lost of money can be made in the tar sands, but I don't know how to go about getting a job there, where to look, who to contact, as that info isn't in our faces, isn't in the paper, etc. It should be.

Put adds in the Cape Breton Post, hold an info session in the before mentioned towns, and watch your labour shortage shrink.

Just a tip from your freindly neighbourhood Scout (not just for hockey anymore) :P

[Maritime Q-Scout]

Originally posted by fotze@Sep 23 2004, 11:46 PM
There are lots ahead of you. That's why fort macmurray is known as newfie west. Not that Cape Breton is newfie, but there are tonnes of easterners coming out here. I've met many and man can they drink. hehe

Alberta would be well served by doing some recruiting out there.

oh I know there are tonnes! I was in an electronics store just browsing seeing what they had in Calgary. The guys asked if I needed help and through generic chit-chat I mentioned I was from Cape Breton. As soon as I did his eyes light up with cha-ching in them. I told him I was a student travelling, and not to waste his time on me, we chatted for a bit anyway. He mentioned how Cape Bretoners and Newfs are the ones with money, everything cash from the oil feilds. I thought wow that's strange it's the exact opposite in Cape Breton and Newfoundland.

Newfs and Capers are bascially the same thing, but different. I don't really know what the difference is yet. Maybe it's they drink Screech, and we just drink? And we can drink, even the little guys like me (I'm tall but the skinniest person you'll ever meet) and I drink people in my program from Ontario-West under the table, they said I was "hardcore" because I was on a pubcrawl and had to work at 9am the next morning. I was thinking... really? I'm a p*ssy where I'm from

[Tron_fdc]

Originally posted by Vulcan@Sep 24 2004, 01:00 AM

You may get workers for half the price but poorly trained workers probably have only one quarter the production.

I think you would be pretty surprised. The import labour I saw worked their ASS off under constant supervision of a cutthroat Korean ready to send them home at any given moment.

Then you refer to menial low paying work which since we are discussing trades people for Fort Mac. I took to be your attitude to tradesmen.

To some extent it is. If, as you say, there is global certifications on trades such as millwrights or HD Mechanics, what would the harm be in bringing in some workers on a temp basis? Pay wouldn't be an issue (pay the same as local workers) as the real issue is the shortage. All I'm getting at is there is an abundance of labour (skilled or unskilled) that can be tapped into if the government was willing to do it.

Bringing in a few untrained workers to begin an apprentiship is always a good idea, but they have to work under the guidance of a tradesman. Construction work can be very dangerous, especially for the untrained and companies have no wish to see their Workers compensation rates go up.

This is a definite danger with untrained labour in general, but I would assume the risk with untrained local labour is the same as untrained foreign labour.