Electricians moving to canada

balisimo

Hows it goin? new to the site, im an Irish electrician moving to Canada, probably British Columbia at the start of 2012. I have secured my visa but i keep hitting brick walls in terms of working as an electrician over der. Im recently qualified and i believe to sit the Red Seal exam in BC you have to prove you have worked 9000 hours on the job, im a bit short of dat. Does anybody know of any other options open to me? Can I work as a 4th year apprentice or an electricians helper? If so is there much chance of gettin work doin that and what kind of wages could i expect? A lot of questions I know but as i said ive hit a brick wall and id really appreciate any info or help you could give me.

Also, if anybody knows of somebody looking for an electrician or apprentice in Canada that would be a massive help.

THANKS in advance!!!!

Helix

can you not just get someone over there to say you've worked the 9000? they dont ring irish references anyway

balisimo

I was thinkin dat myself but you have to get forms signed and dated by your employer in Ireland, den send dem of to the ITA in BC. The ITA den contact your employer in Ireland and decide whether or not there goin to grant you permission to attempt the Red Seal exam. Its takes a while to even get permission and its expensive too.

tenchi-fan

Spell "dem" and "dat" properly and you might get more replies.

balisimo

I suppose you right, I'm too used to texting I guess!

tenchi-fan

I know 2 qualified electricians who went over hoping to make a killing.

They failed the test that would get their qualification recognised after waiting several weeks to do it, and arrived home €5000 poorer.

They also said the wages were so low that after tax they would have been better off on the dole anyway.

I'm not really sure how qualifications for electricians work, but I suppose it depends on what you have your work experience in. Also, don't be afraid to take jobs that are beneath you until you get "canadian experience".

balisimo

Thanks for the information, I have heard a few horror stories myself but there is nothing happening in Ireland and i would rather be in Canada earning poor wages than be here unemployed. I have a few mates in Toronto, they all have trades but at the moment are working as labourers earning between $18 and $20 dollars an hour. That sounds like good money to me and there is no shortage of overtime either according to them.

Rialbox

Hey,
You have to go itabc.ca and do the "challenge" application to get the ball rolling. Costs $120. You do have to get your previous employer to say you've worked over 9000hrs, and they will contact them to verify that before letting you sit the exam, but I don't see how that would be any skin off their sacks to say that, yeah, you did work it. If you fail, the first repeat is free, then every repeat after that is $100.
Most jobs advertised around the Vancouver area for a "journey-man" sparks are paying $25-$34/hr, which is pretty good. But if you work in Alberta, where they have less tax, in the mines, I HEARD labourers are cleaning up $4000 every two weeks and sparks are getting $60-$70 an hour.
I sent in my application just over two weeks ago now and I'm waiting for my exam date. Is there anyone there who has done the red seal and passed who can tell what the best way to study for it is?
I was told about a CD and various books you can get, but like, we've already done our apprenticeships, and have spent enough money on electrical theory books back in Ireland!
I need something for studying for, specifically, the red seal construction electrician exam. If anyone could help me I'd really appreciate it.

Kippure

I done the red seal in 2008. This is how i done it.

GOt my papers signed by a garda, his name and contacted details on it.
I had to prove 9000 hours of work as an irish spark.
I presented it to the alberta apprenticeship board.
They approved me.
I got an employer.
Through a LMO for 6 months only i worked with this employer.
I went to school one night a week for 5 months roughly.
I studyed there electrical code, its the size of the yellow pages.
The exam is 3 hours long.
100 questions.
70 is a pass.
Its mulitple choice
Your allowed bring in the code book.
Your tested on your ability how to use the code book.
You will only pass if you study very hard.
Its an insane exam.
When you pass you are given your journeyman cert and a small card.

Then you are laughing all the way to the bank. I aint kidding.

Best of luck.

http://www.tradesecrets.gov.ab.ca/

http://tradesecrets.alberta.ca/forms_publications/forms/pdf/appl_appr_contract.pdf

Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training Office
Fort McMurray Box 19 7th Floor Provincial Building 9915 Franklin Avenue T9H 2K4 (780) 743-7150

Rialbox

Muchas Gracias Kippure. **** though man, I didn't think it was going to be that bad! I was thinking if your already qualified it'd be a doddle! Woops.

Del007

Kippure wrote: »

I done the red seal in 2008. This is how i done it.

GOt my papers signed by a garda, his name and contacted details on it.
I had to prove 9000 hours of work as an irish spark.
I presented it to the alberta apprenticeship board.
They approved me.
I got an employer.
Through a LMO for 6 months only i worked with this employer.
I went to school one night a week for 5 months roughly.
I studyed there electrical code, its the size of the yellow pages.
The exam is 3 hours long.
100 questions.
70 is a pass.
Its mulitple choice
Your allowed bring in the code book.
Your tested on your ability how to use the code book.
You will only pass if you study very hard.
Its an insane exam.
When you pass you are given your journeyman cert and a small card.

Then you are laughing all the way to the bank. I aint kidding.

Best of luck.

http://www.tradesecrets.gov.ab.ca/

http://tradesecrets.alberta.ca/forms_publications/forms/pdf/appl_appr_contract.pdf

Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training Office
Fort McMurray Box 19 7th Floor Provincial Building 9915 Franklin Avenue T9H 2K4 (780) 743-7150

How were you able to prove that you had worked 9000 hours?

Kippure

Del007 wrote: »

How were you able to prove that you had worked 9000 hours?

My complete work history with referances from each job. The referance should contain how long you worked for each company. Time and dates are important.

40 hours a week by 52 =2080

2080 by 5 = 10400 for example.

Any questions pm me. Glad to help any spark moving or trying to find work in canada. Its hard.

Rialbox

I just filled in the application form, saying I worked 9300hrs and sent it to my last employer. If you got on alright with the last dude you worked for they shouldn't really say no. I worked for 4.5yrs with my last employer, not quite 9000hrs, but he still signed it. How are they gonna know any different here?
Just signed up for a course for the red seal exam there with ACE learning centre in surrey, Vancouver ( http://www.acelearningcentre.org/electrical_trades_programs.html ). Its 2 months long with 2 evening classes a week. Costs $999 plus tax. Pretty expensive but they help you find an employer and all if your trying to find work in Vancouver. Apparently you make the money back anyway. Electricians are well paid here).
If your gonna do the red seal theres a CD / online training tool you can buy here : http://shop.csa.ca/en/canada/c221-canadian-electrical-codes/electricians-self-assessment-tool/invt/27013892009smart?gclid=CN290u3vjqwCFRJShwoduVe7mw
Its basically just a catalogue of 3000 questions that could come up in the exam. You can test yourself with a timer. You can also do mini tests on different areas. When you get a wrong answer it tells you the right one and refers you to the corresponding rule in the Canadian electrical code book (which you should also get).
Just beware that it doesn't work on macs. I bought mine from the shop and it didn't mention anything about needing windows to run it. Kind of annoying having to go all the way back to the shop to return it. If your using a mac the online version will work, just make sure you have the latest version of adobe flash player installed.
The tool is great but I'd go for some sort of course, just to get used to the math (they use different units and formulas, like for instance, they used pounds per feet where we use Newton metres) and to get used to using the code book.
Hope this helps, it ain't easy, but it can be done.
Good luck.

pkane

hi kippure
you seem to know ur stuff
im irish sparks, moving in july to vancouver.. any tips where i can start my revision for the red seal exam.. as i want to succeed when i get over there.. done a year in canada before and i realised im at noting over there without red seal papers.. great info you put up so far,,
cheers

lindzation

Kippure wrote: »

I done the red seal in 2008. This is how i done it.

GOt my papers signed by a garda, his name and contacted details on it.
I had to prove 9000 hours of work as an irish spark.
I presented it to the alberta apprenticeship board.
They approved me.
I got an employer.
Through a LMO for 6 months only i worked with this employer.
I went to school one night a week for 5 months roughly.
I studyed there electrical code, its the size of the yellow pages.
The exam is 3 hours long.
100 questions.
70 is a pass.
Its mulitple choice
Your allowed bring in the code book.
Your tested on your ability how to use the code book.
You will only pass if you study very hard.
Its an insane exam.
When you pass you are given your journeyman cert and a small card.

Then you are laughing all the way to the bank. I aint kidding.

Best of luck.

http://www.tradesecrets.gov.ab.ca/

http://tradesecrets.alberta.ca/forms_publications/forms/pdf/appl_appr_contract.pdf

Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training Office
Fort McMurray Box 19 7th Floor Provincial Building 9915 Franklin Avenue T9H 2K4 (780) 743-7150

Hi there,

How awesome you wrote this out. My boyfriend is doing the exact same thing - except he's using his working holiday visa to be able to stay in Canada. He's just got an employer now that will have a Journeyman Electrician sign his letter saying he worked 3 months at Journeyman standards. Then he can write the red seal.

So you reckon that it's worth doing the evening classes then? My boyfriend says he's not so good at the studying - better at hearing the information in class.

gingersnap79

hey there just wondering if u could help me answer a question or two im a spark from ireland but i am working in the uk for the last three years with an english company would that work experience be be counted for me by the canadians or does it not matter i have 1 year quilfied experience in ireland and 3 years in the uk ? also does experience as an apprentice count or is it from when u are quilified ? i wound be grateful to hear back from you about this

lindzation

gingersnap79 wrote: »

hey there just wondering if u could help me answer a question or two im a spark from ireland but i am working in the uk for the last three years with an english company would that work experience be be counted for me by the canadians or does it not matter i have 1 year quilfied experience in ireland and 3 years in the uk ? also does experience as an apprentice count or is it from when u are quilified ? i wound be grateful to hear back from you about this

Yup I'm pretty positive that work experience in the UK would count - you just need to be able to provide employer references who can vouch for your hours. My boyfriend submitted his hours as an apprentice as well and they accepted it. Where are you looking to go in Canada?

balisimo

Sorry for the late reply, rarely check this email since I got to canada. All of your experience counts and so does your apprenticeship, I only qualified a year ago and got approved, you just have to prove 9000 hours work. I moved to Vancouver and got a job as an electrician within a week, I have not done my test yet but im getting paid 90% of the journeyman rate which is still great money. I am working for a huge electrical company so I am getting top money, the money is probably a lot less house bashing. Hope this helps

gingersnap79

thanks for that so do they allow u to work for so long once ur granted the exam ? i heard that when u submit the forms and get approved for the exam they give u 3 months tempory papers to work till u sit the exam is that true or no , also im on a one year visa is it hard to get sponsered by an electrical firm thanks

cgh

Balisimo,
what is the work and conditions like over there,
I am a electrician in ireland thinking of moving over to Vancouver.
can you give some info on the type of work and how hard it would be to get work.
also the cost of living would be good.

breno69

Great info here..I'm Irish Electrician Moving to Vancouver in few months.Basically I just want know what papers i need to bring with me showing I'm qualified with all my time served and where to get form to state i worked 9000 hours needed..Also be great if anyone can give me few pointers on where to find bit of work while i wait to sit exam..

Thanks for reading if you can help in any way it be great..!

SelfCentered

Hey,

Moving to Canada in about 5 months. Does anyone know if you can sit the Red Seal electrical exam in Dublin. Also, if you can't how do you apply and can you apply from Dublin,

Thanks

Mark

Rialbox

Hey man. If you don't have 9000 hours just fill out in the form that you do - if your previous employer is not an asshole he'll just sign it to say you have worked it. You'll have to study to pass the exam. Their code, and electrical system, is quite different so you wouldn't be able to wing it. There's a course in a place called "ace learning centre" (in surrey, Vancouver - not sure of anything outside of Van) that gets you ready for the exam. It's $1000, but you won't find it cheaper. You shouldn't have too much hassle getting a job if your experience is as an electrician, as such (eg I'm an elevator engineer qualified as an electrician so it wasn't easy for me - just a note to other elevator engineers, BC doesn't have work for you!). I know a few guys who got a start as helpers before getting their red seal, which would be the best way to go because you want to learn how it's done here before your thrown in the deep end. Anyway, hope this helps - you've got a ****load of eyes bleeding craigslist viewing ahead of you. Good luck.

great185

Hi,
Im thinking of heading over just want to know does your fas training count in the contrbuition to the 72 months?It works out as 12 months so i think i will be short if it doesnt count. Do you know anything about it? thanks

davy wavy

where do you down load the form that shows you have done 9000 for vancouver

dunphyh

davy wavy wrote: »

where do you down load the form that shows you have done 9000 for vancouver

This is the link you need - there's a few forms to complete.
http://www.itabc.ca/AssetFactory.aspx?did=2764

davy wavy

thanks very much for that great help:)

Sos5

Hi I'm new to this. I have recently moved to Vancouver and have sent a number
(alot) of resumes out but no luck yet. I left home to become an electrician but understand I may have to go labouring for awhile.
I am in the process of completing the forms needed to prove I have worked 9000hrs. Which is no problem as Ian qualified 5years + the 4years apprenticeship. In order to sit red seal exam.
Can anyone give me some advice on;
passing the exam
Finding work, even if I have to move away from Vancouver .