Moving Abroad 1

[Smokengun]

I'm living in England at the moment but I am moving to Canada at the end of the year. I have a job as a structural engineer and I got my degree in Scotland. I was wondering if anyone has any insight to share on what I need to know and where to look for jobs in Canada? Of course I want to get a structural engineering position there, but I am unfamiliar with the Canadian code so would anyone like to link me some resources?

 

[civeng]

Hi,
I'm a structural engineer working in Quebec, Canada for a structural steel fabricator. If I have one place in Canada where I would work in Canada, it would be Alberta. I've heard only good comments about that province. One thing is for sure, I would never suggest someone to work in Quebec.
Anyways, good luck.

 

[Smokengun]

Thanks mate! pretty sure I won't be moving to Quebec as I can't speak French! I have family in Ontario so thats where I intend to go. but you never know where lifes going to take you?

 

[haggis]

Smokengun

You could try:
Ian Mratin Ltd.
301 - 111 Grangeway Avenue
Scarborough
Ontario M1H 3E9

Tel: (416)439 - 6400

I work contract through them and they are probably the biggest and most resourceful placement agencies in Canada.

I take it you are not old enough to have worked with Imperial units as opposed to SI. Working here or in the U.S. we still largely work in Imperial.

You may realise this already, but to practice as an Engineer, you would have to work somewhere at first where you could be "Industry Exempt" or unlicenced until you became a member of the A.P.E.O. (Association of Professional Engineers of Ontario).

I'm originaly from Glasgow and the word "Engineer" was very loosely used at one time. In Canada, it is actualy unlawful to use the word "Engineer" if you are not licenced.

Best of luck

Haggis

 

[Smokengun]

I had no idea how things work in Canada, thanks for the information, better not call myself an engineer over there I guess.

 

[m63]

You can go to

http://www.peo.on.ca/

to find out more about licensing and registration in Ontario for your particular case.
Also here are some of the Canadian codes that you should get familiar with if you are going to practice structural engineering:
A23.3 -Design of Concrete Structures
A23.1/A23.2 - Concrete Materials and Methods of Concrete Construction/Methods of Test for Concrete
086 - Engineering Design in Wood
S6 -Canadian Highway Bridge Design (it might be still OHBDC in Ontario)
S16 - Limit States Design of Steel Structures
S304.1 - Masonry Design for Buildings (Limit States Design)
And many more, you'll find out while working under supervision of P.Eng during process of your licensing in Ontario.
Good luck!

 

[haggis]

Smokengun

I should rephrase my comment about unlawfuly calling one's self an "Engineer".

It is unlawful to falsely represent one's self as a licenced professional engineer or lead others or potential clients to believe one is licenced.

To practice privately as a Structural Engineer, you definitely have to be licenced and most Consulting firms would insist you be licenced to gain employment. I imagine in the U.K. it is the same and if I remember correctly (been here 37 years) the designation was A.M.I.Struct.E.

I do Mechanical and Strucural engineering where I work, have an H.N.C. and a Bachelor's degree but I am not licenced under the A.P.E.O. As such, I can do the work of an "Engineer" but am "Industry Exempt" from being licenced. I just cant have the word "Engineer" on my business card or anywhere else. Any structural design I do has to go to a Consultant for review and certification. Some would call that passing the buck....

You say you have a degree so becoming a member of the A.P.E.O. would depend on your expierience and writing the P.Eng exam on ethics, Engineering Law etc. if you so desired to be licenced.

Have a look at this web site:

http://www.peo.on.ca/

 

[haggis]

Smokengun

Sorry , in my first post, it should have been Martin not Mratin

Haggis

 

[Prepakt1]

The construction industry in Both B.C. and Alberta is booming. B.C probably untill 2010 because of Olympic construction.Alberta and Ontario will probably slow down in the next couple of years, Ontario has overbuilt on Condos and is slowing down. Alberta is boom then bust and subject to the price of crude. The weather and scenery is better in B.C woulden't dream of living anywhere else in Canada . I came from Glasgow 20 yrs ago tried Ontario then Alberta visited B.C and never left.Engineering accreditation is messy, but you will find some type of work
in Canada. I worked in 9 countries before Canada and never had an engineering qualification problem. Here thay are paperwork mad.

 

[BigH]

Check out the noted forum - there are a number of questions about working/licensing in Canada in there.

How to Improve Myself to Get Ahead in My Work

 

[csargent]

I graduated from a Canadian university, and am currently working in the US and have neither a P.Eng. (Canada) nor a P.E. (US). In Canada, if you graduated from a Can. University, since the professional association makes sure the courses are up to par, you just have to write an ethics/law exam, particular to the province you're going to work in, and have 4 years of experience under a P.Eng. and keep a work journal to document those 4 years. Other work experience can be used, but I'm not sure how that works. In your case where you graduated from Scotland, there may be some sort of technical exam, similar to the 8 hour one I wrote here in the US, but don't quote me on that.

Here are a couple of books you'll need:
-Handbook of Steel Construction -- Eighth Edition (June 2004) available at

http://www.cisc-icca.ca/

-CONCRETE DESIGN HANDBOOK available at

http://www.cement.ca/

and the best job search site is

http://www.workopolis.com.

And depending on what type of work you want to get into, a couple of big companies are PCL (

http://www.pcl.ca),

Peter-Kiewit (

http://www.kiewit.ca,

mostly construction related, but now that I think about it, probably not a good option because they've been known to make you relocate in a days notice), Giffels (

http://www.giffels.com)...

Cheers