Todays Job Market

[Guest 47yrLowTimer]

IMO Whitestone sums up the situation quite accurately.

These operators have learned how to jump through the governments hoops.

 

Sadly like most things these days it all boils down to money. Very few have the kind of work where they can fit a low timer in. Fewer are willing to spend the $ to get that low timer up to speed.

 

Hence we have a growing shortage of 1000 hr pilots

 

Why sink $10,000 + into a guy when you can hire a foreign pilot & have them by the short & curlys.

[Heliduck]

As an Aussie pilot who flew in Canada for a number of years (through summer & winter) I have a slightly different perspective to offer. I mostly agree with the previous comments by Whitehorse & others, each country should invest in & look after its own citizens first before recruiting offshore. I know quite a few Aussies & Kiwi pilots who also feel this way, we're happy to fill an immediate need for experienced pilots but not at the expense of Canadians. I see absolutely no excuse for a Canadian company employing a foreign low hour pilot, & personally spent a considerable amount of time trying to further the careers of low time Canadians who were with the company.

The main point I'd like to make in this post is that even though I left Canada 2 1/2 years ago the position I held is still vacant, so was I really taking the job of a Canadian? Why can't they find somebody? I suspect it is because I have had Canadians of varying experience say to me that they are not prepared to live up north where I was based.

This is exactly the same as the mining & resources industry in Australia where people don't want to move their families to remote ares for work, myself included. This has spawned the largest fly in/fly out (known as FIFO) work force in Australias history, with thousands of jobs currently vacant & thousands more forecast in the next few years. Australia is lowering working visa requirements, recruiting in the US & Asia. All of this while there are Australians unemployed who can't get a start in the industry because they don't have the experience, sound familiar?

 

I believe part of the answer to providing more jobs for Canadians in the North is to offer more FIFO work. Lots of companies do this, but not enough to fulfil the need of the Canadian workforce & generally speaking it is the companies who don't offer FIFO who employ the most foreigners. This cost would have to be passed to the customer, but for companies based in the lower part of Canada, surely they have the pick of the talent pool & would only need foreigners during peak times?

 

Here comes the cruncher - Regardless of all this, it comes down to attitude & what you have to offer a company. If you want a 9 to 5 job where your pay goes in the bank regardless of the effort you put in then the helicopter industry probably isn't for you. Canada has a very competitive helicopter market, & companies need go-getters in the ranks to stay ahead of the pack. Whinge all you like, but if I had busted my arse for years to start a company I wouldn't risk it on anyone who didn't put in 110%. I was paid above industry standard while I was in Canada, so ask yourself why a company would pay me more than they would normally pay a Canadian to do the same job?

To summarise, don't whinge about no jobs if you're not prepared to go to where the work is. FIFO will help, if you have something of value to offer a company then bargain with them, they might come around.

Look in the mirror, is that foreigner getting the job because the company is doing the wrong thing(it does happen), or is that foreigner getting the job because they work hard, positive attitude & can offer something extra in return for their pay?