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Oilsands jobs fuel growth in northern Alberta, Saskatchewan
News Articles | Montreal Gazette | March 08, 2011
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Ryan McKimmie’s looks at his recent move to Fort McMurray in Northern Alberta as sheer good fortune.
After graduating as a chemical engineer in 2005 from the University of Calgary, he worked for five years on automation controls, or mini-computers, for a company that provides products to the natural gas industry, Spartan Controls Ltd. When the opportunity arose to move up the ranks and into the oilsands industry, he decided to take it. He and his girlfriend got engaged and bought a house, where the newcomers feel right at home.
“I love it up here so far,” says McKimmie. “I wanted to broaden my horizons and get some more knowledge about the industry.”
The job market is booming in Fort McMurray. Suncor Energy, one of the largest oilsands players in the region, plans to increase its production by more than one million barrels of oil equivalent per day by 2020, or growth of about 10 per cent in the next decade.
“With such a promising future, we know there’ll be no shortage of opportunities to contribute and develop careers,” says Stephanie Ryan, director of talent acquisition for Suncor.
Meghan Walsh, 22, a fourth-year civil engineering student at the U of C’s Schulich School of Engineering, has a specialization in energy and environment and says she is enjoying every minute of her internship in Fort McMurray. “I was seeking out Fort McMurray because I wanted to experience the heart of Alberta’s economy and be a part of a major energy project,” she says.
The city has grown dramatically over the last 10 years. Entire communities have formed around it to accommodate the burgeoning workforce. “Fort McMurray is a really vibrant town – as much as any other community,” says Walsh, who has been using her personal time to take arts and theatre classes at nearby Keyano College.
But her priority is getting experience working on projects related to a world-scale energy development as she blends regulatory relations with operational support. Walsh is learning about the non-technical side of engineering, including communication and working on interdisciplinary teams.
“I really feel positive about the job outlook upon graduation because I feel like I’ll have a significant skill set and an understanding of the industry,” she says.
There will be hundreds of new jobs for engineers with Suncor and other major integrated oil and gas companies operating in the region, such as Imperial Oil, Shell, Syncrude and many others.
Engineering jobs for seasoned professionals and recent graduates that are currently in demand include electrical, mechanical, metallurgical, rotating equipment and reliability, says Suncor’s Ryan, but the broader job outlook requires the entire spectrum of disciplines and specializations.
Cecilli Chat, also a fourth-year civil engineering student at the U of C, is now on an internship working in project management at Suncor on projects related to finance. She works alongside planners, contractors and other disciplines to co-ordinate such large-scale projects.
“It’s just interesting to see that integration of all these people combined working on one project,” says Chat. “I would actually like to come back.”
Even though the job posting was for a mining engineer – she didn’t even know such a specialization existed at the time – she decided to apply for the opportunity after her third year. “I read the description about project management, which is an area of interest of mine, so I wanted to look further into it,” says Chat.
Forecasts suggest oilsands activity will increase considerably in the short term and long term. While Suncor and other firms invest heavily into developing new grads, they also have to keep the talent pipeline flowing at all levels. “We really are looking for some of those seasoned, professional engineers,” says Ryan.
The increased activity is also evident in parts of northern Saskatchewan as the global appetite for oil and gas continues to increase.
McKimmie, meanwhile, compares Fort McMurray to his hometown of Winnipeg or even Calgary. “With the new communities that they’ve just made … it’s all nice, brand new houses,” he says. When he’s not working, he’s probably working out at the local community centre or spending time with his wife-to-be at one of the outdoor or indoor recreation facilities.
“When you take a look at this community and the way they’re investing in getting families to move up here and become permanent residents … I can’t see leaving any time soon,” says McKimmie.
Read more: http://www.canada.com/business/Oilsands+jobs+fuel+growth+northern+Alberta+Saskatchewan/4378685/story.html#ixzz1GJDKAIYO
Tagged with: alberta, jobs, fort mcmurray, saskatchewan, oil industry
