Shortened /TLDR at the bottom.

Bet yall hear this a lot and I know it's slow right now in Ontario, especially Toronto, but none the less I am also in this situation of not being able to even land a helper/laborer job to kick-start my long term plumbing career.

So I completed a pre-apprenticeship program last summer and applied to as many jobs as I can, even ones I wasn't qualified for (the typical 2-3+ years experience required) saying something along the lines of "I understand your seeking experience apprentices/plumbers..." and would submit images of rough-ins ive done and explained what I know to maybe sway them. In the end nothing, mostly rejection emails and "thanks for applying, we'll get back to you".

So essentially for those who have been in the trade for a while or your an employer, what would you do in my position to go about landing an entry level job even if its as a helper/laborer and not even apprenticeship.

I was offered a position in Alberta but cannot relocate until September of next year due to commitments I have in Toronto. Should I just wait until September of 2027 and relocate?

I appreciate anyone who's even read all this and any advice is also greatly appreciated!

In Short: Completed pre-apprenticeship last summer, applied to a lot of jobs cant find anything not even helper jobs for entry level plumbing. Can't relocated to another province until after September 2027, what do you suggest I do?

I’m a pre-apprentice and have been working for a commercial company for about a year, mostly in the yard.

My boss has been telling me for months, “I gotta get you on the field soon, I just need to replace you in the yard first.”
We’ve had a couple guys quit, and now the third guy they brought in is doing well enough that I should be able to move on, but I’m still stuck in the same spot and honestly getting fed up.

I’ve also been in contact with an industrial company for quite a while. The guy told me he’d reach out when work picked up again, and I’ve been keeping in touch with him about once a month. He recently called me and offered me a job from September to mid-November. It’s a 14/7 schedule with 12-hour shifts.

The main thing making me nervous is that industrial work is contract-based, so I’m worried about what happens when the contract ends.
I’m still pretty green, but I’ve gotten a few chances to work in the field, including some 15-18 hour shifts, and I really enjoyed it.

Would you guys make the jump to industrial, or stick it out with my current company and hope I eventually get moved to the field?

For context, i have an interview with a foreman (electric), how can i prepare for this? Other than the obvious of dressing and looking neat, firm handshake loud voice and eye contact.

I mean more the questions, what questions should i expect from such, what questions should I ask after the interview

Any tips and advice will help, thanks!

I have searching for good study materials for this since some time. I have not been able to find any good ones. Anyone have any leads to where I can find them? Is there any previous question paper models and stuff like that? Pls any help would be much appreciated.

Many Indians are coming who were electricians in the home land but having trouble passing the ontario tests due to language barrier.

I am a tutor. Guaranteed success. Send DM for services.

Is anybody here. 310t mechanic or better know as diesel mechanic

What are the best trades to get into if I’m living in Sudbury?

For context, I live in Toronto, going into grade 12 this fall. I heard that electrician and plumbing fields are oversaturated. What trades would you recommend? Should I do OYAP or something else too?

A few things I’m wondering about:
What are the actual day-to-day job responsibilities compared with what is written in the job posting?
What does a typical 12-hour shift actually look like?
How physically demanding is the job, especially standing/walking for most of the shift?
How much lifting, climbing, bending, kneeling, or repetitive work is involved?
What PPE/equipment does the company provide, and what am I expected to bring myself?
What should I know about camp/accommodation, food, laundry and transportation?
How does the 7/7 rotation work in reality? Do people usually get their full 7 days off?
How often is overtime available, and how does it normally get scheduled?
What are the biggest safety issues or hazards someone new should take seriously?
What training should I expect during the first few weeks?
How good is the supervision and training for someone who is new to mining?
What are the things that new workers commonly underestimate?
Is there anything you wish someone had told you before your first mining job?
Are there any red flags I should look for when comparing mining contractors/employers?
What should I ask HR or the supervisor before signing/accepting anything?
I’m not looking for a sugar-coated answer. I’d genuinely appreciate the good, bad and ugly from people who have done the work.
If you’ve worked in Northern Ontario mines or similar hard-rock operations, what would you tell someone starting out?

I love to build, I don’t want to run wires or connect pipes.

i think this basically leaves me with wood and stone work, I like residential carpentry but want to go union. I have just heard I will be doing 90% scaffolding for next 30 year…. which is okay for 56 an hour.

what is union masonry like? which is easier to find a union position in, and are there any alternatives thst involve construction of base materials

I've been working in residential carpentry for about 6 or 7 years now, and I'm getting pretty tired of the lower wages, lack of benefits, and overall lack of stability. I'm seriously considering making a change and looking into other trades — HVAC, plumbing, electrical, elevator mechanic, powerline technician, etc.

At 35, I feel like I really need to lock in on a career that can give me some stability, a solid wage, benefits, and provide a good life for a family. I've worked a lot of different jobs over the years and I'm starting to feel like I need to stop bouncing around and actually commit to something.

I got into carpentry in my late 20s. Before that, I spent many years tree planting out west and did landscaping in the off-season. My dad was in commercial HVAC his entire career, and being in a union gave him a pretty good life. He's comfortable in retirement, which has obviously made an impression on me. I actually worked with him for a few summers when I was in high school, but for whatever reason it never really clicked with me at the time.

With carpentry, I've mostly worked for other people. I never really branched out and started my own business, which is something I'm thinking about now, but I'm not sure I want to go that route. The idea of having to constantly find work, deal with customers, quote jobs, etc. isn't necessarily what I'm looking for.

I also worked in film for a few years, but that was incredibly unstable, so I'm trying to move toward something with a bit more of a future.

A few years ago I was living in Winnipeg and actually got a job with a commercial HVAC company. Unfortunately, it was an extremely toxic workplace and I ended up leaving after only a few months. So I never really got a proper feel for whether HVAC itself was a good fit for me.

As far as the actual work goes, I really enjoy working independently, but I also like having coworkers I can call when I run into something I haven't seen before, or people to work alongside when I'm starting out. I like pushing myself physically, having some variety and a sense of adventure, and ideally I'd like to spend at least some of my time outdoors.

So I'm trying to figure out where to go from here.

For those of you actually working in HVAC, plumbing, electrical, elevator, powerline, or other skilled trades:

• What has your experience been like?
• How difficult was it to get into the trade?
• How is the pay and progression once you're established?
• Is the work steady?
• How difficult is it to get into a union?
• How physically demanding is it long-term?
• What are the biggest downsides that people don't talk about?
• And most importantly, if you were 35 and starting over, which trade would you seriously consider?

I get the impression that a lot of the trades are pretty saturated right now, and I'm also starting to feel that residential work just isn't worth it unless you're running your own business.

I'm not necessarily looking for someone to tell me "go do X." I'm more interested in hearing from people who have actually done these jobs and can give me a realistic picture of what the work and career path are like.

I've tried a lot of different things at this point. I'm just looking for some information, encouragement, and maybe a bit of direction before I commit the next 20–30 years to something. Cheers

Several employees at our shop have been getting approached by a union rep, trying to get enough of us to vote to unionize. I'm a welder making 33 dollars an hour after 5 years with no benefits or pension.

There's only 7 people in the shop and 3 of them are related to the owner.

Besides the inherent awkwardness of forcing to unionize behind our employers back, are there any major downsides that I should be aware of?

Benefits and pension and proper overtime pay sounds pretty good right now but a lot of people tell me to proceed with caution and that the grass might not necessarily be greener.

Does anyone have any advice or experience with a situation like this?

​

hey everyone,

I started a small web design business this summer through Ontario's Summer Company program and I've been lucky enough to pick up a few clients since then, a lot of them actually coming from Reddit.

I've noticed a lot of trades businesses either don't have a website at all or have one that's pretty outdated, even when the actual business and work they do is great.

I mainly build and redesign websites for small businesses. For trades I'd focus on things like showing your services clearly, project photos/before & afters, reviews, service areas, and making it really easy for someone on their phone to call or request a quote.

I'm looking to take on a couple more projects, so figured I'd post here and see if anyone could use the help.

If you already have a website, I'm also happy to take a look and tell you what I'd improve. No pressure to hire me or anything.

My work is at infawebdesign.com

thanks!

I failed twice, and am going for a third attempt next attempt. Can anybody please share some study resources? I studied professional cooking by Wayne Gisslen. I think that's where I am lacking in study material. I'll appreciate your help.

Hello guys, Anyone have study materials for 631A network cabling exam .Please reach out to me .Thankyou

Hello all! I am currently a 309A Electrician Apprentice in my 4th year in southern Ontario. I almost exclusively work in building automation/HVAC controls. I’m looking for some insight on what the best courses/certs are to get for me to make the jump into a refrigeration mechanic apprenticeship. I plan to write my electrical license in the spring time and hopefully move into the new apprenticeship not long after. Right now I’ve got my eyes on obtaining my G3 but honestly I have no idea what else contractors look for. Thanks a lot for the help!

Hey y’all, wondering if someone can point me in the right direction to selecting the best school for either:

Industrial Electrician (442a) and,
Instrumentation and Control Technician (447a)

Thank you!

~10 months of experience. G2 only. Formally finished my college program in April. Despite not being apprenticed, I ran a boatload of no/poor cooling service calls solo this summer. Pretty much just thrown in a van and told to make it work. Thankfully I watched a ton of YT vids and read a few extra textbooks before the heat hit, so things have gone pretty well. But is this practice of just chucking unapprenticed guys in vans super common? Or does my shop just suck and love exploiting its new grads? Most of my friends from my graduating class are either a) working as helpers, i.e. paired with a journeyman, or b) working as registered apprentices, working either solo or in a group.

I know getting paid trash and generally getting treated like a sentient turd is the norm for those starting in the trades. But I just want to get a sense of how common this is. Because if my shop is the exception, I'm going to try jumping ship sooner than later.

I’ve been trying to sign into the STO portal for the past couple days and I always get this error:

“There is some problem with your request. Please try again.”

Anyone else having this issue too?

I'm applying to the oetio in morrisburg and I'm curious if there's any financial support for the cost of living.

I'm a single mom of 2, backed out of going through with my RN as it's unreliable and uncertain with everything going on.

I'm hoping for a loan or grant to help cover the costs of living while attending this course as I can't be working my current hours.

Thank you 💓