DOCUMENT RESUME ED 112 272 CG 010 045 TITLE Careers Canada. Volume 1, Careers in Ccnstruction. INSTITUTION Department of Manpower and Immigration, Ottawa (Ontario). PUB DATE 75 NOTE 36p.; For related documents, see CG 010 046-048 AVAILABLE FROM Information Canada, Ottawa, K1A 0S9, Ontario, Canada (HC-$1.00) EDRS PRICE MF-$0.76 Plus Postage. HC Not Available from EDRS. DESCRIPTORS *Building Trades; Career Opportunities; *Ccnstruction Industry; Government Publications; Occupational Clusters; *Occupational Information IDENTIFIERS *Canada ABSTRACT This pamphlet, published by the Canadian Department of Manpower and Immigration, is the first of a Careers-Canada series and describes careers in construction. The pamphlet is divided into six major sections:(1) history and importance;(2) nature of the work, including planning, contracting, site preparation, roofing, finishing, plumbing; (3) workers in the industry, including design and technical staff, architects, civil engineers, and land surveyors; (4) on-site construction workers; (5) preparation and training; and (6) seeking employment. Several photographs are included.(RWP) *********************************************************************** Documents acquired by ERIC include many informal unpublished * materials not available from other sources. ERIC makes every effcrt * * to obtain the best copy available. Nevertheless, items of marginal * * reproducibility are often encountered and this affects the quality * * of the microfiche and hardcopy reproductions ERIC makes available * * via the ERIC Document Reproduction Service (EDRS). EERS is not * responsible for the quality of the original document. Reproductions * * supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original. *********************************************************************** ocunEEnc IncoDa 4 Manpower Main-d'oeuvre 1111 I* and immigration et Immigration . Information Canada Ottawa, 1975 Cat. No.: M11P70-20/ 1-1975 Librairic itcatichcmin Limit 6c Contract No. 38434-74-40453 MESSAGE FROM THE MINISTER All Canadians must be given the opportunity to determine their abilities, develop them through education and training, and apply their talents in a meaningful occupation. To achieve this goal, sound information must be made available to every Canadian at a stage in their development where fruitful decisions can be made. Careers - Canada is a major effort towards this end. The benefits of the Careers-Canada series should affect many people: the student considering entrance into the world of work; the worker seeking to change occupations; the prospective immigrant; the manpower or vocational guidance counsellor, in fact, anyone wishing to match people with jobs. Many people have been involved in the production of Careers Canada, I join them in wishing you every success in your career search. Robert Andras '1 NOTE TO READERS The ultimate judge of any material is the user. It is recognized that improve- ments can be made in the initial booklets and we ask all readers to forward any suggestions to us. The consolidation of these comments will allow us to better provide you with the type of information required. Suggestions and comments should be addressed to: Director, Occupational and Career Analysis and Development Branch, Department of Manpower and Immigration, 305 Rideau Street, OTTAWA, Ontario. K1A 0J9 CONTENTS HISTORY AND IMPORTANCE 1 NATURE OF WORK 3 Initiation of Work 3 Planning 3 Contracting 4 On-site Construction 4 Site Preparation 5 Foundations 5 Framing 6 Exterior Finishing and Roofing 6 Electrical Wiring 7 Plumbing 7 Special Installations 7 Interior Finishing 8 WORKERS IN THE INDUSTRY 9 Design and Technical Staff 9 Architects 9 Civil Engineers 9 Land Surveyors 10 The Technical Team 10 ON-SITE CONSTRUCTION WORKERS 11 Carpenters 11 Bricklayers and Stonemasons 12 Structural Metal Workers 14 Roofers 15 Electricians 16 Plumbers and Pipe Fitters 17 Sheet-metal Workers 18 Insulators 18 Glaziers 19 Plasterers and Related Occupations 19 Tile Setters and Terrazzo Workers 20 Concrete and Cement Finishers 21 Floor Layers 22 Painters and Decorators 22 Construction Labourers 23 Construction Machinery Operators (Heavy-equipment Operators) 24 PREPARATION AND TRAINING 25 Apprenticeship Training 25 Working Conditions 25 Advancement 26 Employment Outlook 26 SEEKING EMPLOYMENT 29 RELATED PUBLICATIONS 30 HISTORY AND IMPORTANCE What is the Construction Industry? Today more than 692,000 people are Building Construction can be sepa- employed in firms involved only in rated into three main fields of work. If you stop and think about it, how construction. Others are with General contractors construct, many construction projects could government agencies, public utility maintain and repair larger buildings, you list in your neighbourhood alone? companies(hydro, telephone, for such as office complexes, schools, A new home is taking shape in the example), or manufacturing estab- hospitals, and shopping centres. vacant lot at the corner. The road- lishments, and work either on con- Some on-site developers build way which takes you from your home struction projects or in the mainte- housing projects, stores, and small to the nearest shopping centre is nance of building. Many constructionapartment houses to sell once the being widened to accommodatein- workers have no`permanent place of work has begun or been completed. creasing traffic. A huge grey high- employment. When one job is fin- Both contractors and developers rise apartment building is breaking ished, they move on to the next, have their own work crews and a the skyline across the street from sometimes even from province to staff of estimators, site superinten- your school. And chances are that province. dents, and other key workers. either the gas company or the city works department is putting in new The work done by the construction Subcontractors provide labour and piping somewhere within blocks of industry is varied and involves not services to general contractors in any your home. only new construction projects but one of a large number of specialties also large numbers of repair, mainte- from carpenters to plumbers to These jobs and more - dams, bridges, nance, and renovation jobs. And the glaziers to floor layers; these are highways - are what the construction firms that do these jobs are just as covered on pages 11 to 24. industry is all about, meeting the varied. To help you understand the needs of people -to be warm and variety of employment available Added to this list of possible em- comfortable, to get from one spot to under the heading "Construction," ployers are industrial companies and another, to have a place to work:' construction work has been split into government agencies who hire brick- two divisions- building construction layers, painters, and carpenters, in The industry has come a long way in and engineering construction. Some addition to architects, engineers, and Canada since early settlers built their firms, usually called "heavy con- other technical staff.'City works log cabins along the St. Lawrence struction companies," are involved departments need people to con- and the first roads were cut through in both engineering and building. struct and maintain streets, water timber and rock. The earliest homes supplies, and public utilities, as do were of wood, but with the need for Engineering construction firms railway companies who build and more permanent buildings, stone usually undertake large-scale proj- service their own rights-of-way. quarries, brick and tile plants, and ects- roadways, railroads, airports, These workers, in contrast with those lime kilns opened up around Trois- bridges, tunnels, and subways; pipe- employed by construction com- Rivieres, and stonemasons, brick- lines, power, and communications panies, have a more permanent layers, and other craftsmen became systems; marine works such as docks,workplace and position. active. Sheet-metal workerswere harbours, and piers; and reservoirs, busy on the silver-toned roofs so canals, dams, sanitary systems, and typical of old Quebec. As the country other waterworks. The operations of grew, docks and harbours were built these firms can cover large distances, to land settlers, and new roads, and in most cases, workers are hired canals, and bridges took them over locally. Such companies maintain land and water westward. their own work force of supervisory, technical, and skilled personnel who As Canada's population grew, so did are required to travel and live con- the construction industry, and as it siderable distances from their homes. grew, it changed. New methods of Since most of these projects are operation came into being, and the large, workers can expect a number workers themselves became more of years of employment before specialized to carry out the more moving to another major construction involved jobs. job. 1 HISTORY AND IMPORTANCE THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY INDUSTRIAL MAINTENANCE BUILDING CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING CONSTRUCTION MAINTENANCE MANUFACTURERS AND ON SITE GENERAL HEAVY CONSTRUCTION SPECIALITY CONTRACTORS "OTHER INDUSTRIALISTS DEVELOPERS 'CONTRACTORS CONTRACTORS I CONTRACTORS' BUILDINGS CANALS MAINTENANCE HOMES ROADS INDUSTRIAL BRIDGES OF STORES STREETS COMMERCIAL TUNNELS EXISTING STRUCTURES APARTMENTS HIGHWAYS . ANSTITUTIONAIRESERVOIRS ON-SITE ORGANIZATION SPECIAL SERVICESJIM HEAD OFFICE CLERKS-OF-WORKS SITE SURVEYS PROJECT ENGINEERS RESEARCH DESIGN SUPERVISORS SUBCONTRACTORS PLANNING AND ESTIMATING SURVEYORS ARCHITECTS ENGINEERS DRAFTSMEN , SITE FOREMAN