Recent grad? Employed?

BA (hons) in history/poli from UVic in 2007. I knew I was talking a year off between degrees so in my last semester I spent $2000 for lessons and got my Class 3. I Worked for 14 months on the S2S highway upgrade driving trucks and wrote the LSAT and applied to law school.

Finished my J.D. (Osgoode) in 2011 and I'm articling in Toronto now. Hopefully I'll get an offer to stay at the firm I'm at now but I won't know that till May. Either way I don't have much intention to move back to BC to pratice anytime soon, if ever.

If I had to do it all over again I would have probably done a business/commerce degree before law school.

Over the next 10 years, all of the major municipalities in BC are going to spend billions on water and wastewater infrastructure. Anyone interested in engineering or technology in those fields, anyone in the construction trades is gonna be BIIIZZAY.

A partial list;

- new wastewater treatment plant in Victoria
- related changes to wastewater collection/pumping infrastructure in Vic
- new drinking water treatment and storage facilities in Nanaimo
- complete replacement of Lions Gate wastewater plant in N. Van
- major refurb of Iona wastewater plant by the airport
- double the capacity of Annacis wastewater plant
- significant updates/capacity increases for water/wastewater in Abbotsford and Chilliwack.

There isn't enough engineering or construction capacity within BC to handle all of this. It's going to be insane.

Kn.

How many new civil engineering grads do you think are going to get picked up for EIT positions working on these projects? I'd say 20 would be optimistic. One of the dumbest things about companies in Vancouver is that most of them are such small time operations that none of them want to spend the money to develop new grads. I wish they would but Vancouver's economy is too small for that.

no one wants to train everyone wants experience.

How many new civil engineering grads do you think are going to get picked up for EIT positions working on these projects? I'd say 20 would be optimistic. One of the dumbest things about companies in Vancouver is that most of them are such small time operations that none of them want to spend the money to develop new grads. I wish they would but Vancouver's economy is too small for that.

Well I certainly wouldn't hire anyone with that attitude!

Kn.

how many people who did a co-op got a job offer out of it and went straight to a job at graduation?

How many new civil engineering grads do you think are going to get picked up for EIT positions working on these projects? I'd say 20 would be optimistic. One of the dumbest things about companies in Vancouver is that most of them are such small time operations that none of them want to spend the money to develop new grads. I wish they would but Vancouver's economy is too small for that.

Now I can't speak for civil strickly but I did geotechnical/geological engineering at UBC and graduated in 2009. I don't know a single person from my program that is without work, let alone had a hard time finding work. I myself didn't do co-op (I did gain summer experience however) and it wasn't an issue.

I do believe structural and some other disciplines may have a harder time but there is work for people with professional degrees.

how many people who did a co-op got a job offer out of it and went straight to a job at graduation?

Me…

I actually had most of my first year apprenticeship hours before I graduated because of a light course load in my last semester.

There isn't enough engineering or construction capacity within BC to handle all of this. It's going to be insane.

Kn.

Not true(kinda)…Most large design/build civils in North America have branches in Western Canada now…and many of their subs are sitting on their thumbs right now.

The money is to be made on the site…not the office.

There is a true shortage of dependable,skilled trades in BC and AB…..and once the power projects get going in the Labrador,all the Newfs will head home (which is a debateable good or bad thing) and it will only get worse.

^^^Don't hate on the newfs!^^^

They're the hardest partying, hardest working folk who'll do whatever the hell you ask 'em with a smile on their face. They're the only group of people that I've ever seen happy to swamp on a vac truck for 20 hours without a break, and joke the whole damned time. Just 'cuz they speak a little funny doesn't make 'em bad!

^^^Don't hate on the newfs!^^^

People can hate on their own kind.

goddamned crackers

^^^Don't hate on the newfs!^^^

They're the hardest partying, hardest working folk who'll do whatever the hell you ask 'em with a smile on their face. They're the only group of people that I've ever seen happy to swamp on a vac truck for 20 hours without a break, and joke the whole damned time. Just 'cuz they speak a little funny doesn't make 'em bad!

I've also worked with a bunch that like to talk about working

I'll be graduating in May with a BS in Mining Engineering. I've got work lined up, and they want me there over christmas break as well.

We did a tally, and so far, out of the ~15 people graduating this year in my degree, only one or two don't at least have job offers, if not work lined up.

My job won't be in Van, but it is exactly where I wanted to be, doing what I want to do (hardrock u/g in Montana)

Do UBC or SFU have a power engineering specialization? If so, you should all transfer into that program.