New and soon to be Jobless

[Tick]

Hello everyone
I am currently in to manufacturing for 25 years and soon too be unemployed , our company will be moving to Mexico..... I am 45 and a hard worker ........ and I am from the Toronto area....

I have always wanted to get into the heavy equipment side of construction. .. I have no experience but willing to learn ..... what is the best thing to do to break into the business?
Should I find a good school ? There are lots of Private schools around and Collages what is the best?

I have been talking to the Union and some schools and they are telling me too talk to the employer and find out what they want , do they want someone who went to school and got some hours in the seat or do they want to train someone themselves.

These are the questions I am asking you guys with the jobs and the experience !!

What would be your advice ?????


Thanks
:drinkup
TC

 

[stock]

Welcome to our little international community; sorry I can't be of much help on the school thing as I am on the other side of the pond.Have a chat with some local civils companies see what they want, might be no need to spend a lot of cash unnecessarily .Best of luck to you in your new career.

 

[Tick]

Thanks

I thought I would get a bigger response from this forum on this subject ?

 

[willie59]

Welcome to the forum Tick. :usa

Your response will most likely come from the Canadians that are on the forum as those of us outside of Canada aren't familiar will all the practices up north. I know that many Canadian crafts require you to be licensed or certified, but have no idea how to go about the process.

 

[skyrptz]

Hello Tick : local 793 IOUE has an amazing training school in Oakville ont.and Morisburg ont, I have been to both and would strongly suggest you try to get in to one of their coarses as they are second to none failing that option I would try an oufit called "Robar Centre" I have had friends go there also a trainer. the web site is www.robarcentre.ca
I would vouche for either any ways i hope this helps a fellow ontarian.

 

[dsichewski]

Hi Tick,

Sorry to hear about your plant closing down!

I'm about 1 hr down the road from you. I to am currently trying to find a heavy equipment operator job....I took a operators course at fleming college in lindsay back in sept 04 and then a pre apprenticeship course there as well in 05. worked for toromont for 3.5 yrs and got up to level 2...now i'm job hunting and for allot of the jobs that I've seen on (job bank canada, workopolis, canadianjobs.com, indeed.com, albertajobs.ca ) are all looking for 3-5yrs experience with a heavy equipment trade certificate, sometimes safety tickets such as first aid w cpr, whmis, tdg, gdp, h2s and I'm finding more and more want a dz or az license...I'm seriously thinking about going for one of those just to help increase my odds.

Good Luck in finding something! Hopefully we can both get work sooner than later!

 

[Tick]

Thanks everyone for your advice it helps .. and I hope the advice doesn't stop commin .....

dsichewski : How was the course at Fleming collage? How much seat time did you get? How were the Teachers? Is it worth all that money (these courses are not cheap it pays to do allot of research LOL). Any other info you can add?

The schools I like the best so far is Fleming and local 793 training school , there some others I have to check out still ......

If you have anything to add to these post feel free I could use all the advice I can get ...

Thanks
TC

 

[lynger]

Hey Tick,

I'm currently at Fleming for the mechanics coures. I live with a few of the operators and they seem to love it. They put you in pairs and the two of you switch back and forth on the machines digging basements, trenches...etc. I think I even saw them out there surveying one day. Seems like a good course..any other questions just ask and maybe I can help.. good luck!

 

[dsichewski]

Hey Tick....

The course at Fleming was good. They like lynger said put you in pairs on one of the machines and they show you how to do certain jobs with certain machines.

Wheel loader - they show you how the go into the pile properly, they show you how to properly position yourself for loading trucks so that you load effeciently, they show you how to take a small pile in the middle of the road and scoop it up so you remove the pile and don't damage the road

Dumpt truck - usually pared up with the wheel loader for most of the time hauling dirt from one side of the pile to the other... for some of the time this will be teamed up with the excavator so the excavator can learn how to load a truck properly and efficiently

excavator - they show you how to stake everything properly ( 4 corner,sides, behind machine, far away from machine. stake for trench's) the show you how to excavate foundations using 3 sides to place fill, the show you how to dig trenches, and sidewalk/step them, they show you how to use lazer level and manual level to keep things on grade, taught you how to load a truck from being up on an embankment

tractor loader backhoe - they teach you how stake foundations and trenches like with the excavator, sometimes would have you use the loader end to transport dirt or rocks from the field.

dozer - teach you how to create birms with them, show how to cut down a side walk/step trench and also how to back fill a trench using a loader to push the fill lines inward, show you how to stake a birm as well

packer - basically all you do is pack the fields, pack the trenches once half way full and then when completly full, pretty self explainitory

grader - show you how to crown a road with 5 passes, usually let you grade the haul roads or part of the fields, show you how to stake the roads aswell

you are one each machine for 2 weeks, after the first week you will have to do a circle check test with the instructor basically telling/showing him all the fluid checks, safety points. lock outs etc....on the second wed you will have your practical test where you complete a task

theory, there is a safety class and it literally covers the osha book like a bible...your midterm test and final exam are each worth 50%....i know the one test is open book for sure can't remember about the second one.

environmental class - basically learning about the environmental impacts and how to keep sustainability...we did 3 field trips, 2 of them too two different gravel pits and the third was to the water treatment plant in lindsay.

maintenance - this class was basically to let you know about how to take care of the machine, find the wear items, service items, where the grease points are etc...

i honestly can't think of the last classes name (earth moving technology maybe) but basically it was designed to show about soils, and rock, how if you excavate this you now have this or that. if you dig up 1m of soil you now have 1.25m of soil because it has expanded. that sort of thing. they get you to do some business stuff and do a quote on a job and list what machines you'd use with what attachments. draw out all the diagrams. etc...

I was in the machines every mon thurs and fri for 5 hrs and wed for 3, about 18hrs a week...then our safety class was 4 hrs straight, environmental was 2 or 3 and the other class was about the same 2 or 3

Was this course beneficial to me...yes because now i know how to operate the machines before going into fixing them, know what are wear parts are and attach and remove attachments.

 

[Tick]

Thanks dsichewski This is a great bit of info ........

lynger I am not from the lindsay area ... was it hard to find a place to stay and is it reasonable ????

 

[dsichewski]

Thanks dsichewski This is a great bit of info ........

lynger I am not from the lindsay area ... was it hard to find a place to stay and is it reasonable ????

Depending on where you are in the toronto area it would probably be cheaper for you to commute everyday as opposed to staying there. If your near the oshawa side of toronto then its only going to be maybe an hr? I came from kitchener, if I left on a early sun afternoon to get back up there I could make it in about 2 hrs...you get off at exit 436 which is hwy 35/115...then you take that to the lindsay exit which is hiway 7 i believe and its not far from the hiway...

when i was there I stayed in rez....rent about $500-600 month
ppl were staying in houses also and rent was about $400 - 500...

 

[liebherr1160]

Hi Tick ..

Im a crane op by trade ...outta 793 .... I dont know alot about the dirt side ..but what i do know is that schooling and course's aside ( which are all good ) dont think you'll find yourself on a machine really quick.. swamper will be your duty for a long while ..backing up trucks ,digging by hand with an excavator in sensitive area's ,,installing drains and conduit ..that kind of stuff ..
Off the top of my head Ive gone out with a crane to service two major player's in earth moving in Ontario ..Tacc and Con-Drain ..which by now maybe one and the same ...maybe get ahold of them ..all around they were great guy's for me to work with ..they may ask if you are a member of 793..

you should minimum get a DZ license ..AZ would help alot, get some theory and practical knowledge of the equipment ...go to John Deer ,Cat ,Komatsu ,get sales brochures of the equipment online or at the dealer..so your not entirely ignorant of the gear..helps to have basic knowlegde alot of it ...
Dont go looking for an operator's position off the hop ...try the entry level position's ,mechanic's helper ,water boy ..but express that your interested in becoming a something from the start ..other gate ways and route's may become apparent once your in the door ...
Thats how i got into the cranes ..I started sweeping floor's ,to mechanic's helper , to truck driver and grunt for the iron worker's ,millwright's ,and crane operator's ..one day one operator quit and i damn near put my arm through the ceiling ..they agreed to take me as an apprentice ... mainly beacause i knew the score and what had to be done from the ground up ..ya smellin what im cooking

Other than that dont ever turn down work when asked ..and raise your hand if there's an open offer ,be alert ,motivated ,intent ,diligent ,,and above all SAFE ..
Best of luck ..

 

[lynger]

Depending on where you are in the toronto area it would probably be cheaper for you to commute everyday as opposed to staying there. If your near the oshawa side of toronto then its only going to be maybe an hr? I came from kitchener, if I left on a early sun afternoon to get back up there I could make it in about 2 hrs...you get off at exit 436 which is hwy 35/115...then you take that to the lindsay exit which is hiway 7 i believe and its not far from the hiway...

when i was there I stayed in rez....rent about $500-600 month
ppl were staying in houses also and rent was about $400 - 500...

Like dsichewski said, if you're around oshawa it's probably easier to drive...I know of a few guys who drive from oshawa everyday...I'm in res right now..because I'm only there for 4 months at a time its easier than a house. But from what I know of they aren't too hard to find.

 

[stock]

Hi Tick ..
Don't ever turn down work when asked ..and raise your hand if there's an open offer ,be alert ,motivated ,intent ,diligent ,,and above all SAFE ..
Best of luck ..

REAL GOOD ADVICE! Tick this I would Heed.

 

[IH 3500A]

Just a couple of things to provide some balance:

You will be outside a lot, cold, wet, hot, dusty, noisy.

Job sites vary so you will travel a lot, possibly staying the week on site. Home projects will come to a stop during the week.

There are probably HE operators that have been laid off and looking to get into manufacturing.

In PA there is a shortage of machinists to the point the association for machinists employer's is offering free schooling and will pay you while in school. You just have to give them a couple of years working time. Same goes for the local nuke plant maint company that needs welders. ( However the nuke place is looking for fresh out of high school people, the machinist program will take most anyone )

What sort of manufacturing were you doing? Going to school to be a CNC operator is a good entry level spot but does not pay well because it is just clamp part, press start, unclamp part, measure. Learning how to program and generate setups is where you will make more $. Try www.cnczone.com or www.practicalmachinest.com ( I think these links are correct, a quick web search would confirm )

Some schools live for government money, if paying out of pocket tuition can be adjusted. Also be sure the schooling is quality.

Going to a local employer and seeing what they are looking for is a good idea, there is even a chance they will bring you on while in school or even as a provisional employee. ( more likely if they are non union as the rules are not as restrictive. )