Help!

Centres, Agencies, Contacts and Experiences
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chippypaul
Posts: 5
Joined: Sun Jul 21, 2013 2:24 am
Location: England

Help!

Post by chippypaul » Sun Jul 21, 2013 2:58 am

Hi Everyone,
Myself and my wife are in need of some help and advice because we are so confused!
I am a qualified Carpenter and my wife is an Office Manager and we are are planning/hoping to move to Kelowna or somewhere in the Okanagan Valley.
We've been doing so much research over the last couple of months that our poor little brains can't take it anymore!
The problem is you read so many different things that it leaves you not knowing if your coming or going.
Can someone please give us some advice as to the job situation for Carpenters and what they are getting paid.
We hear so many things in regards to working and living in Kelowna i.e. it's too expensive, the wages are low and the taxes are too high.
We are not too worried if that's the case because Kelowna and the rest of the Okanagan Valley looks fantastic and a great place to live, work and start a family.
I am planning to do a recce trip early next year to get a good lay of the land and to meet up with construction/carpentry companies to hopefully find some work.
We just want to know weather Kelowna/ Okanagan Valley is a realistic choice for us.

Many Thanks
Paul



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Roo
Posts: 377
Joined: Sat Feb 14, 2009 10:02 am

Re: Help!

Post by Roo » Sun Jul 21, 2013 2:51 pm

:hi Paul and welcome to A-OK

I'm not in Kelowna but I've done a little searching for you and found this. http://www.workingincanada.gc.ca/report ... 1&source=3" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; It will be able to give you a bit of an idea of available carpentry jobs and expected wages in the area.

Here are a couple of websites to look for jobs. http://kelowna.kijiji.ca/f-jobs-constru ... QQCatIdZ50" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; http://www.jobbank.gc.ca/rch-eng.aspx?P ... 0&Stdnt=No" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; I'm sure there are more on the Employment section on the front page of A-OK, also try looking in the classifieds section of the newspapers under the media tab.

There was someone on here a while ago looking to recruit people in the construction industry, his name is Ian Nutley, here's a link to one of his posts viewtopic.php?f=35&t=2336" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; It may be an idea to send him a private message to see if he can give you more information on the current market for carpenters. (I'm not completely sure if you need to write so many posts before you're able to send a private message).

We've visited the Okanagan a few times and it's a great place and we hope to settle there some day, I'd definitely recommend a recce trip.

I hope this is of some help.

Roo



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chippypaul
Posts: 5
Joined: Sun Jul 21, 2013 2:24 am
Location: England

Re: Help!

Post by chippypaul » Mon Jul 22, 2013 10:41 am

Thanks for the reply Roo that's very nice of you, we can do with all the advice we can get at the moment.
The websites will be very useful in getting an idea of wages and job opportunities, I'll diffinitely be getting in contact with Ian in the very near future.
The funny thing is were researching into Kelowna but in all honesty the Okanagan looks so stunning we would be very lucky to be anywhere within that area.
Again cheers for the advice, very much appreciated.
Paul and Sandra.



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Roo
Posts: 377
Joined: Sat Feb 14, 2009 10:02 am

Re: Help!

Post by Roo » Mon Jul 22, 2013 11:17 am

You're welcome :) You've picked a beautiful area, you will love it :thumbup



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Brightlighter
Posts: 3
Joined: Fri Aug 22, 2008 12:52 am
Location: Kelowna

Re: Help!

Post by Brightlighter » Mon Jul 22, 2013 6:17 pm

Hi there,
I am a Kelownaite who works in Construction, although not on site but in offices.
I would suggest that you have a look at a couple of sites - http://www.indeed.ca" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; is a great one for finding positions that are available and up to date and of course the WorkBC site at http://www.workbc.ca/Jobs/JobSeekers/SearchResults.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

There are many companies to suggest that are here in the Okanagan and across Canada - I'm assuming that larger companies are more of a target for you as they are more likely to hire from outside the country.

I would suggest that you google and attempt to apply at the following companies:
EllisDon
Ledcor
Graham Construction
Stuart Olson Dominion Construction
Maple Reinders
PCL Constructors
Axiom Builders
Graycom
Yellowridge
Sawchuck Developments

Another great idea would be to contact the Southern Interior Construction Association - http://www.sica.bc.ca" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
This is a non-profit group that works for/with Construction companies to assist them on bidding, educating and a whole menu of other items. Best of all they have lists of contractors on the site.

In order to get into the country you may need to "due some time" in a less than favourable place - I know that Manitoba and Saskatchewan as well as areas in BC like Terrace, Trail, Esquimalt and Prince George have shortages of skilled construction personnel as a great deal of these Canadian workers have gone to work in the oil fields of Northern BC and Alberta. The company I work for is a general contractor that had difficulty with their subtrades locating skilled drywallers/tapers, dimensional stone masons, painters, wallpaper installers, concrete layers and EFIS installers as many of these trades have found better money in the North and choose to work there for the short term for the financial gain.

I hope that has been of some assistance.

Sincerely,
Brightlighter



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chippypaul
Posts: 5
Joined: Sun Jul 21, 2013 2:24 am
Location: England

Re: Help!

Post by chippypaul » Wed Jul 24, 2013 11:59 am

Thank you guy's you've been so helpful, We really do appreciate all the fantastic advice, websites and e-mails.
(You were right Roo I can't pm until after 6 or more posts!, thank you for the pm)

I know what you mean about trying a less favourable place first to help us get into Canada.
At the moment I plan to contact as many of the building companies in the Okanagan as possible and let them know I'm coming over in January for a recce trip and hopefully some of them will be interested in meeting up for a chat.
I much prefer the smaller company feel then the big corporations but if that's what it takes then that's no big deal, I'd just be please to get a job offer.
If I have no joy in finding work initially in the Okanagan then that's when I'll try further afield.
I know most people don't mess about, they just go straight for the big firms out in Calgary, Manitoba etc but from what we've seen and heard about the Okanagan Valley we just want to try our best first to get work there as it's so beautiful.
Thanks guy's

Paul.



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Bcmama
Posts: 7
Joined: Sun May 15, 2011 8:05 am

Re: Help!

Post by Bcmama » Mon Jul 29, 2013 3:42 pm

I don't know specifically about Carpentry, but face to face contact seems to be the best way to find work so I would try and cram as much of that in whilst your on your recce trip. Kelowna is a fabulous place to live but jobs are harder to come by than other places in BC. Best of luck with your trip and move over.



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