| Career Advice: Power Engineering Technology at Nait - Click HERE for Original Thread |
| s2k |
Just enrolled at Nait for the september semester. Im taking Power Engineering Technology. Just have a couple of questions for the power engineer technologists on the forums.
I took the two year program, but there's the one year program for your 4th and 3rd class. So does that mean if I took the 2 years, I can write my 2nd class test at the end of the last semester? |
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| Flex |
You said your second class test....there isnt one test for it, there are 6 tests you have to write to get your second class.
You will be able to write half your second class papers (3 exams)when you are finished the second year. You will need some more steam time to be able to finish writing the last half of your second class (the last 3 exams) |
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| RADRIDE |
Just because you will have your first half of your second, don't expect to get a job as a 2nd class power engineer.
If in the end you want to end up in management then go and persue the full 2nd class or even your 1st. It will take you a very long time to do so. I was training a 2nd class guy when I worked at Suncor. Needless to say he didn't even know what a snipe looked like. Pretty pathetic. My advice to your is get your 4th or 3rd class and go work and make $100000+ per year at the plants. Enjoy no time off, work overtime all of the time and basically live in shitty area's like Lloyd or Fort Mac. Don't expect to get a job in Edmonton or Fort Sask because those places hire the operators from Fort Mac because they have the experience. Just my $0.02.
BTW I've been doing this for 10 years now.
R.K. |
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| Blackout-spec |
quote:
Originally posted by RADRIDE
Just because you will have your first half of your second, don't expect to get a job as a 2nd class power engineer.
If in the end you want to end up in management then go and persue the full 2nd class or even your 1st. It will take you a very long time to do so. I was training a 2nd class guy when I worked at Suncor. Needless to say he didn't even know what a snipe looked like. Pretty pathetic. My advice to your is get your 4th or 3rd class and go work and make $100000+ per year at the plants. Enjoy no time off, work overtime all of the time and basically live in shitty area's like Lloyd or Fort Mac. Don't expect to get a job in Edmonton or Fort Sask because those places hire the operators from Fort Mac because they have the experience. Just my $0.02.
BTW I've been doing this for 10 years now.
R.K.
not entirely true!
ive only been doing it for a yr and i have noticed a second class makes you as valuable as gold! there is a major shortage of 2nds so it wont be hard to find a job. our seconds dont do any desk work, they just make a bit more then all the 3rd class guys but do the same work.
sure the program says you can get half of your second class, but i bet out of 60 grads, only 5 get that, maby 10 write. there is way to many exams for the nait courses then the ABSA exams ontop of it all to possibly study for everything. finals are an extremly stressfull time because you write 10 exams in 5 days. so you write 2 a day and then go home study till 11 and write 2 more the next day for an entire week, thats only for NAIT. then you write you ABSA exams, 4 hrs each. 2 for the 4th class, 4 for the 3rd class, 6 for the 2nd class and so on.
once you have your 3rd class, its easily 10 yrs before you will have your first class.
I know when i went through the program there were atleast 1 test/exam a week, and at the end of the semester 10 finals. school is hard compared to work as usual. I have not used much that i learnt in class but thats what you need to get hired.
Aim for really high marks because you have no experience and thats all your potential employers have to go on.
I got a job in Ft sask as a summer student and i got hired on FT after the summer so i didnt go back for the 2nd yr.
We just got 6 new hires in may from nait so there is lots of jobs. Prob wont be hiring for a while now, all the crews are full. |
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| RADRIDE |
quote:
Originally posted by Blackout-spec
not entirely true!
ive only been doing it for a yr and i have noticed a second class makes you as valuable as gold! there is a major shortage of 2nds so it wont be hard to find a job. our seconds dont do any desk work, they just make a bit more then all the 3rd class guys but do the same work.
sure the program says you can get half of your second class, but i bet out of 60 grads, only 5 get that, maby 10 write. there is way to many exams for the nait courses then the ABSA exams ontop of it all to possibly study for everything. finals are an extremly stressfull time because you write 10 exams in 5 days. so you write 2 a day and then go home study till 11 and write 2 more the next day for an entire week, thats only for NAIT. then you write you ABSA exams, 4 hrs each. 2 for the 4th class, 4 for the 3rd class, 6 for the 2nd class and so on.
once you have your 3rd class, its easily 10 yrs before you will have your first class.
I know when i went through the program there were atleast 1 test/exam a week, and at the end of the semester 10 finals. school is hard compared to work as usual. I have not used much that i learnt in class but thats what you need to get hired.
Aim for really high marks because you have no experience and thats all your potential employers have to go on.
I got a job in Ft sask as a summer student and i got hired on FT after the summer so i didnt go back for the 2nd yr.
We just got 6 new hires in may from nait so there is lots of jobs. Prob wont be hiring for a while now, all the crews are full.
Where do you work? All the premo jobs at the big plants are taken by experienced fort mac guys.
R.K. |
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| Blackout-spec |
Agrium.
Pay is as good as shell from what i hear and we do half the work because the plant runs smooth 98% of the time.
Few guys quit and went to shell, but from what ive heard from more experienced guys is that this plant is as good as the plant life gets. |
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| s2k |
| Thanks for all the advice guys. definately gunna read through that thread you made Jamie.. are you planning to enroll for the fall semester this year? |
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| RADRIDE |
quote:
Originally posted by Blackout-spec
Agrium.
Pay is as good as shell from what i hear and we do half the work because the plant runs smooth 98% of the time.
Few guys quit and went to shell, but from what ive heard from more experienced guys is that this plant is as good as the plant life gets.
You work at Agrium:lol: . You couldn't pay me enough to work there. But as long as you like it thats all that matters. BTW is there a Blair Tichkowski (sp?) that still works there? He was in rail car loading and transfering into the plants last I heard. That was a couple of years ago.
R.K. |
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| Blackout-spec |
i dont see whats so funny but whatever. you prob deal with gas, i deal with ammonia, big difference. both stink, and can kill you. plant is clean, small, runs awesome, and pay is good. i got no complaints, i mean who else gets paid to wash their own car and work on it? dont get me wrong, i would give all the little perks up to get a few bucks extra at a different plant.
i cant speak from experience but its good enough for me for now and will pay for the toys.
Gotta start somewhere!
not sure who blair is.. |
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| EK9Hatch |
quote:
Originally posted by s2k
Thanks for all the advice guys. definately gunna read through that thread you made Jamie.. are you planning to enroll for the fall semester this year?
Well unfortunately I've been out of school for 312 Years, so I think it is very important for me to take the upgrading offered at NAIT. I am doing my upgrading from January till April of 09 and will be enrolling for the Sept 09 Semester.
Kyle, could you PM me...I am curious what guys start out at for pay. Just wondering what I can expect. Also, wondering about OT and how it works. Thanks man!
Jamie |
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| Flex |
Radride - where do you work at?
Im out in fox creek right now but Im tired of the commute and I want to find something local.
I paid my dues so now Im ready to come here. |
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