WATCH: Workers from Alberta’s oil fields were among the hundreds from around the Halifax region vying to get a job with Irving Shipbuilding. Global’s Ray Bradshaw reports.
HALIFAX – Hundreds of people lined up at a Dartmouth hotel today for the chance to apply for jobs at Irving Shipbuilding.
The company held a career fair at the Holiday Inn in Dartmouth, and it gears up for the Arctic Offshore Patrol Vessel program, scheduled to begin later this year.
“We’re overwhelmed by the turnout,” said Mary Keith, the Vice-President of Communications at Irving Shipbuilding. “We’ve got folks that have come from across the Maritimes.”
Right now, Irving is looking for 200 experienced people in four key trades: welders, iron workers, pipe fitters, and marine fabricators.
Three young men, who travelled from Moncton, are just finishing their trade courses. Nathan Hodder trained as a machinist, and he said he is hoping to get his foot in the door.
“Irving is a big supporter of the apprenticeship program – they always were – they were sort of the founders of apprenticeship, so there’s still hope for us,” said Hodder.
David Christopher of Charlottetown is an apprentice welder. “They’re looking to get a journey person, apprentice ratio and I’m hoping I’ll be in the apprentice part of that for now,” said Christopher.
Competition for jobs will be stiff. Irving will host job fairs at the Membertou Centre on July 15th and also in Fort McMurray on July 8th. Keith says she hopes workers in Alberta will jump at the chance to get good work back in Nova Scotia. “We’re focused on bringing them home for those who are interested in coming home,” said Keith. “We’re focused on keeping them home.”
Tom Dunbar is a iron worker/welder, who has been going to Alberta the last couple of years to work as a supervisor in the oil fields. “This might be my first opportunity to have work back here,” said Dunbar, “so I’m going up there and send in my resume.”
J.P. Lalande of Westville, Nova Scotia has been working in Alberta the past four years. “I just finished a gig out in Alberta on the Surmount Two site,” said Lalande. “I’m a registered red seal pipe fitter and basically looking for work to spend more time with the family.”
Keith says people should not get discouraged if they don’t get a job this summer. “The estimate right now is a thousand direct jobs related to AOPS (Arctic Offshore Patrol Vessels) in roughly 2017 and that’s for the trades.”
Irving Shipbuilding will start cutting steel September 1st on the shipbuilding project.
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