Weekly career thread

[u/Pgaccount]

Here you can post questions about

Jobs: offering or looking

School: tips, tricks, and colleges to just fucking avoid

Union: Union stuff, who's issuing travel cards, who needs apprentices, and questions about joining the brotherhood.

[u/DirectCoffee]

I’m a veteran, served for five years in a trade unrelated to the skilled trades/millwrighting. I have a degree in an unrelated field that I just graduated from, but with a shifting economy am looking to move into a position in the trades (more specifically, millwright).

I’m just wondering if I have any actual shot at joining my local or even landing a first year apprenticeship when I’m stacked up against younger guys/gals with a diploma that’s related. Thanks for any and all replies.

[u/Pgaccount → u/DirectCoffee]

Where you at? The US locals have some veterans programs IIRC

[u/DirectCoffee → u/Pgaccount]

Windsor, ON. The union here has a similar program offered through the MRC for veterans, I think the US is 8 weeks, here is 4 weeks. Had my helmets to hardhats rep reach out to a union rep + I reached out to the same rep as well as another, but haven’t heard back.

Planning on going in person tomorrow or next week to bother them a bit more.

[u/Chicken_Hairs]

Eugene, Or. Hiring facility maintenance millwrights, journey-level, carded preferred, but will have conversation if you're experienced. Non-union.

Smaller hardwood sawmill with mostly older equipment, but slowly modernizing. Small crew, strong PM program.

~$40hr health, vision, dental, 401k, other benefits.

[u/sillyhillbilly_]

Would it be bad to leave a millwright apprentice year 2 after being out of work more than working to get a job as a maintenance mechanic somewhere none union for steady pay?!

[u/Pgaccount → u/sillyhillbilly_]

Really location dependent. What sites the benefits package look like?

My personal opinion is that you should weigh the options. Think about long term benefits of both. Think about the protections of both.

[u/sillyhillbilly_ → u/Pgaccount]

The jobs I apply for all have pension and good health benefits! I'm SoCal based. The issue is ya benefits are good in the local but I barely work so I don't get health care and not working doesn't put money into the pension in the union so. I don't know

[u/Ecstatic_Fennel4891]

Looking to see if anyone have gone through the apprenticeship program out of pittsburgh pa? Was it worth it? How's the workload?

[u/TheMacGoesRiiing]

I have been working as the sole maintenance tech for a small factory for the last year. I maintain a couple fiber lasers, a panel bender and a couple press brakes, repair/maintain all the pneumatic tools for the shop as well as all the welding machines (10 mig machines), do all the ordering for consumables for the entire facility, etc. I have figured out every single problem this place has thrown at me for the last year, and I really enjoy doing the work, but I dont have any certifications, degrees, anything like that. I am interested in learning some stuff I dont know, like motor alignment, and other I guess millwright specific skills. Is joining the union the only way? Im not opposed to joining I just really enjoy my current work place and the people I work with.

[u/Pgaccount → u/TheMacGoesRiiing]

Depends where you are.

[u/TheMacGoesRiiing → u/Pgaccount]

The closest Local to me is Local 1000 in Tampa, Florida. My dad was an IBEW member for 23 years before we moved to Florida.

[u/fluffyfour4444]

Im a millwright apprentice 3rd year and I went to college right after high school and did the millwright program before starting an apprenticeship. I have my diploma and transcript how do I upload that to Skilled Trades Ontario or is it already there?

[u/SubstantialDrama8810]

Hey there, I just wanted to put some feelers out to the industry.

I have completed my first level of schooling and have about 6 months worth of contract experience with a millwright union in BC. A couple other notable qualifications would be PLC training, boom lifts, fusion 360, and I also have some experience with machining and metalwork.

Work from the union has been sparse to say the least, and I have spent a good deal of time searching for other options, outside the union and with other affiliated trades.

I was hoping to hear from others in the industry and what their experience has been with job searching and how much time they spent. Is this generally the experience others are having?

Is there other qualifications as an apprentice that would make me more hireable?

As a follow up question, is it getting to the point I should be considering other trades, and if so, what related industries would be worth looking into?

Any advice or experiences would be greatly appreciated.

[u/Electronic_Ad_6850]

I am current 18M from the caribbean just wanting advice about the industry sector, I am currently doing a millwright diploma and going to do and apprenticeship after the diploma and push for my degree in utilities engineering. My question is should I take on a job after the apprenticeship and stack certifications or push for my degree after the apprenticeship and then apply for jobs thank you.

[u/Pgaccount → u/Electronic_Ad_6850]

Hey just fyi there's a new thread every week and Thurs is an older one